Frozen: A Sky of Shadows
by InfiniteAssassin
Summary: The lives of the people of Arendelle and the world are going to change forever. When an ancient forgotten evil awakens, a dark prophecy begins to unfold. The world is set to be shrouded in a never ending darkness. In order to stop this evil, Elsa and Anna must put aside their personal affairs to strive for the world's survival. The ultimate battle between good and evil begins.
1. Prologue: The Prophecy

**This fanfiction is rated T for intense action, violence, blood, language, use of alcohol, suggestive themes and references, and an overall dark mood. May be at some points upsetting for younger readers. Suitable for ages twelve and up. Younger viewers must make sure that they're okay with the fact that everything is not rainbows and butterflies for the good guys.**

For new readers, please read my author's note.

Author's Note: The long awaited sequel to Frozen III: The Coming Storm is finally here. For those of you who did not know, this story is indeed a sequel to two fanfictions; Frozen II: Phoenix Fire and Frozen III: The Coming Storm. I apologize that it is not stated in the summary. But, please, I recommend that you do not click away if you planned on doing it because this is a sequel. I have written the summaries for both Frozen II: Phoenix Fire and Frozen III: The Coming Storm below. If you have already read both stories, feel free to skip it and dive straight into this story. If you have not read both, here are your options: A. Go read both stories which will take a few hours to finish reading (they are both very good I assure you) B. Read the summaries I have written. (They may not be as detailed as the stories themselves but they'll give you a basic gist of everything). Ciao.

Also, the writing for Pheonix Fire is not nearly as good as The Coming Storm.

**Frozen II: Phoenix Fire Summary**

Kai is a boy around Elsa's age who has pyrokenisis (fire powers) and lives in a country called Teranhall which is a neighboring country to Arendelle. He accidentally blasts his best friend, Deren, in the face with fire around the same time Elsa struck Anna's head. Kai is then banished from his home village/town. Kai eventually comes across the capitol of Teranhall, Teranhall Keep. There, he is introduced to the Bandit Organization (a group of people who steal and hurt others in order to sustain themselves) by the King of Teranhall, King Lyre, who also happens to be the leader of the Bandits. Lyre started the Bandits in hopes of getting revenge on the citizens of his city as they do not respect his rule.

Years pass (one year after Frozen) and Kai becomes one of the strongest members of the Bandits along with a mysterious masked man named Strife. King Lyre introduces the Conduit, an ancient artifact capable of extracting and transferring energy, to Kai. He plans to use the Conduit to take Elsa's powers away from her, knowing she has ice powers, and use them to create an eternal winter for Teranhall as a final act of revenge. Lyre orders Kai to kidnap Elsa. Kai, now seeing the error of his ways, abandon the Bandits secretly and travels to Arendelle by ship in hopes of warning and protecting Elsa.

In Arendelle, Elsa is romantically involved with her Captain of the Guard, Travis Summers and Anna and Kristoff are about to be married. Kai arrives in Arendelle, and after a struggle with the authorities, Kai interrupts Kristoff and Anna's wedding. The wedding is cancelled although the party after is not, and Kai is arrested. Elsa has a short conversation with Kai in prison and returns to the party.

The party is ruined by a group of Bandits sent to do what was supposed to be Kai's mission. Kai, who escaped custody, saves Elsa from the Bandits but Anna is kindapped. Kai tells them everything they need to know about the Bandits, hiding the fact that he used to be one himself. Elsa and Travis prepare for a mission to save Anna, not allowing Kai to go, and Kristoff is left to take care of Arendelle.

Kai and Olaf stow away on the ship but are eventually caught. They are allowed to be part of the mission, but Travis reveals to Kai that he knows Kai's secret but decides to just keep it between the two. Later, Kai notices something wrong with the journey and it is revealed that Travis along with everyone else on the ship besides the protagonists are Bandits. The ship catches fire, but Kai, Elsa, and Olaf escape via row boat and Kai manages to keep his secret.

The trio find themselves on an island and narrowly escape an erupting volcano. In a forest, Kai has a secret conversation with Strife and Kai convinces Strife that he is still loyal to the Bandits to which Strife believes but not really. Kai, Elsa, and Olaf enter a fishing village where they encounter a disgraced Duke of Weseltown who gives them a ship. The three take the ship to Teranhall, and during the trip, Kai and Elsa fall in love and share a kiss.

In Teranhall, they find Kai's old home but it is completely destroyed and deserted. Kai discovers his mother is dead and unleashes his anger in the form of a fiery vortex. Elsa is forced to freeze Kai's heart to calm him down. Then, Strife reveals himself along with other Bandits and tells Kai that it was the Bandits who destroyed the village. He also tells Elsa the truth about Kai's past. Kai is subdued and put on his ship which drifts back to Arendelle along with Olaf. Elsa is captured but manages to freeze Strife's heart.

Kai teams up with Kristoff along with Olaf and Sven to save their friends. They use a flying machine Elsa mentioned to get to Teranhall quickly. In Teranhall, Lyre manages to extract Elsa's powers and create the winter. The boys crash land in the city and head towards the castle. Kai fights Strife while Kristoff and Olaf go after the girls. Kai and Strife find themselves on the roof of Teranhall castle and Strife reveals himself to be Deren, now scarred and seeking revenge on Kai. Both succumb to their Frozen hearts and turn into solid ice.

Anna convinces Lyre to turn good and he frees them and returns Elsa her powers. They all go to the roof and Elsa stops the eternal winter but they find Kai and Deren as ice. Lyre uses the Conduit to heal Kai but it is then destroyed. Kai uses his own powers to heal Deren. Kai lets Deren go after.

Days past, and Lyre is now a better King. Anna and Kristoff are married, but Kai decides he should leave his friends. Elsa convinces him to stay, and they share another kiss.

Elsewhere, Hans promises revenge.

**Frozen III: The Coming Storm Summary**

A few weeks after the events of Frozen, Hans is forgiven by his father but his two oldest brothers, Ander (the oldest) and Christian, are skeptical.

Many months past (a few months after Phoenix Fire) and Kai is Elsa's new Captain of the Guard. He is on a ship where he encounters Deren. The ship begins to sink, and all but Kai, Deren, and the captain are left. Deren shoots Kai with a pistol and Kai is presumaby killed.

Monthe later, Hans convinces his father that Elsa is a threat to the world and decides to hold a war council where they agree to declare war on Arendelle in order to defeat Elsa. It is Elsa's birthday in the winter. She has isolated herself from the world once again after Kai's death. That night, Kai reveals himself to still be alive but very weak with an injury in his shoulder. He explains to his friends that Deren was killed when he was struck by lightning and that Kai barely made it off the ship.

The next morning, Elsa recieves a letter informing her about the war. She calls for a peace council which many monarchs and representatives agree to go to including King Lyre, the monarchs of Corona, Hans and his brothers (discluding their father and Ander). Rapunzel and her husband, Eugene, go to Arendelle in hopes of making amends with Elsa and Anna because their parents perished on the journey to Rapunzel's wedding.

During the peace council, Kai and Elsa attacked by man named Cade, and while they chase Cade around the castle, Cade's lover, Lilith, and many other men attack and kidnap the councilmen leaving only Hans. Cade escapes and Kai and Elsa are too late to save the councilmen. The next morning, a meeting is held concerning the kidnapping. Hans accuses Elsa of being responsible which she denies. When Elsa and Kai are left alone, Cade appears and easily subdues Kai. He gives them the coordinates to where they are keeping the councilmen and escapes.

In the Southern Isles, the king is killed by Cade with Hans in the room. It is revealed that Cade and Hans are working together as part of Hans' plan to get revenge on Elsa and Anna and as part of Cade's lifelong goal to hurt the fortunate. Hans blames Kai for killing the Kingand an angry Ander declares war on Arendelle.

Elsa sends a majority of her guards to search for the councilmen in the snow covered woods. Anna is denied the chance to help. Later, Ander arrives in Arendelle, blockading the city with his navy. He gives Elsa three days, including that day, to prove their innocence or else he will destroy the city. That night, Anna leaves secretly in hopes of saving Arendelle by finding the councilmen along with Rapunzel, who hopes to endure her parents' safety. Kristoff, Eugene, Olaf, Sven, and Maximus leave togeher that same night to look for their missing wives.

The next morning, Kai leaves with Elsa's permission to find their friends. Anna and Rapunzel, after encountering wolves and some men at Oaken's, find themselves captured in a cave underground run by Bandits who are not disbanded. Kai, who tracked them down, frees them and the base is destroyed. After interrogating a Bandit, it is revealed that the Bandits continued to thrive under Cade and Lilith and that the coordinates that Cade has provided lead to a trap. The councilmen are truly being kept in Elsa's Ice Palace in the North Mountain where Cade and Lilith have taken refuge.

Kai reluctantly agrees to accompany the girls on their quest. Lilith leaves the North Mountain to assassinate Elsa. That night, the night before the deadline the next afternoon, Kai, Anna, and Rapunzel are attacked in a pub in the forest. Kai loses his left ring finger during the struggle and is poisoned though they don't know it yet. They barely escape with their lives.

Kristoff and his party arrive at the given coordinates and find that it is overrun by Bandits and that the guards Elsa sent are now captured. They liberate the guards and take the base. They learn where the councilmen truly are and embark to the North Mountain,in hopes of theirs wives going there as well, while the guards return to Arendelle. Elsa is attacked by Lilith, but Elsa defeats Lilith. The next morning, Elsa tried to use Lilith to prove her innocence but it is not enough for Ander. Lilith is then taken to a prison far away from Arendelle.

Kai separates from Anna and Rapunzel and apparently succumbs to his poison. Kai returns to the land of the living after a small trip to limbo where he encounters his mother, and heads to the North Mountain. In Elsa's Palace, Cade captured Rapunzel and is about to kill Anna but Kai saves her. Kristoff and the others enter the castle and free Rapunzel and the councilmen. Anna and everyone else, excluding Kai, run to Arendelle via horses to stop Ander and Hans, Hans' treachery revealed.

Kai defeats Cade in a fight, both sustaining many injuries. Cade kills himself by jumping into the chasm below Elsa's Palace, rather not living his life under those he hates. Kai believes he has failed to help Cade see the good in the world. The palace begins to collapse and Kai barely escapes.

In Arendelle, Ander sees the councilmen right before he fired upon Arendelle, and Christian, who was held captive, tells Ander everything, therefore Arendelle's innocence was proven. The next day, Kai, who had just returned home, stops Hans from assassinating Elsa and Hans is arrested. Soon, during a trip to the beach, Kai props es to Elsa, who agrees, and Anna is revealed to be pregnant.

Months later, Anna gives birth to a baby girl, Lena, and Kai leaves to the city to investigate something.

In the end, Deren is revealed to still be alive with new electric powers.

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Author's Note: Now, without further ado, I present to you Frozen: A Sky of Shadows! The chapter will be very short compared to future chapters.

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**"People may believe that light shall conquer all, but when the world is engulfed in a sky of shadows, and there is no light left which can conquer, what will they believe? Only then can they see that darkness is the strongest force. The darkness is the only thing they can believe to be real. But, once they understand that, they will realize that there is nothing they can do. All they can do is burn." - Mara, the Agent of Darkness**

* * *

**Prologue: The Prophecy**

* * *

Many years before Frozen...

Grand Pabbie was curled up in his rock form, not moving an inch as he was resting. Countless other trolls surrounded him, also in their rock form, making a large empty circle about fifteen feet in diameter around him. The night was rather peaceful. Not many noises came out of the forest that the Valley of the Living Rock was located in. The bright full moon shined it's light beautifully over the clear patch of land. The night could be considered perfect by many others. But, Pabbie's slumber was not that deep. He kept an ear open, even while in his rock form. He always did that in case danger ever arose. That habit was just about to prove itself useful, but not in the way Pabbie thought.

Whispers. The whispers of children it was. They weren't loud enough to wake many up, but they were loud and close enough for Pabbie to be alarmed. He sensed no threat in the whispers. The high-itched voices indicated that they were children, and with children came innocence. No doubt that the children wanted Pabbie to read to them a story before bed. Some nights, they would request that Pabbie would tell them a story at night so they had something to dream about and re-enact. Pabbie believed that he was beginning to run out of stories to tell them. He had told so many already. But, of course, he would think up of something. He was wise enough to make up a story on the spot.

Pabbie changed into his humanoid form and looked at the children to the side. Inside the empty space created along with Pabbie was a little Kristoff, Sven, and two child trolls. Kristoff wore his normal outfit which he would use to go out and attempt to mine ice with. The troll children had yet to earn any crystals to put around their necks. Pabbie recalled how long it has been since Kristoff became a member of their family. A year, Pabbie remembered. In that time, the trolls have really learned how to warm up with the human and he did the same to his new family. Sven's antlers were still developing and they were nothing more than white stubs on his head. A large book was in Kristoff's hands, about the size of half of his body. Kristoff seemed to be struggling with carrying it.

"Hello children." Pabbie whispered, smiling gently.

"Hi Grand Pabbie." The children said in unison, softly so they won't wake up the other trolls.

Pabbie looked at the book Kristoff had. The exterior was made of leather and was torn and ruined. It was obvious that the book had gone through rough times. Pabbie wondered how old it was. It surely was fragile and required the utmost care, he thought.

"What do you have there?" Pabbie asked Kristoff, as if it wasn't obvious from a single glance.

Kristoff took a step closer to Pabbie and dropped the book. He didn't drop it very gently as it fell on the ground with a thud. Dust danced over the book and around it. Kristoff wiped some of the dust away from his face, managing back a sneeze for the trolls' sakes.

"It's an old book we found." Kristoff explained. "We have no idea what's it about yet."

"Where did you find this?" Pabbie asked.

"In the woods." One of the trolls answered.

"What were you doing in the woods, Kristoff?" Pabbie asked. "You know how dangerous it is out there without supervision." Pabbie did his best to talk in a voice that showed concern and authority but in no way showed any hostility. He wanted Kristoff to know his dangerous choice was frowned upon.

"I'm sorry." Kristoff apologized. "It's just that I needed to tinkle really badly and I didn't want to wake anyone up."

"Why do you only like to tinkle in the woods?" Pabbie asked.

"Moving on." Kristoff asserted. "Anyway, I found this book near the tree I was tinkling on. It had lots of things covering it but I luckily found it just fine."

Pabbie looked down at the book and turned it towards his direction. The book was just as big as Pabbie was, but looked much lighter. Of course, a rock would be much heavier than a book. Pabbie wiped the dirt off of the book cover and looked to see the title of it. Unexpectedly, there was no title at all. It was just plain brown leather. Could it be a journal? A diary? Because of the lack of title, Pabbie questioned whether there were any words in the book at all. He flipped open the cover and, indeed, found words in black ink and cursive. He then closed the book and looked back at the children.

"You want me to read you this?" Pabbie asked.

Kristoff nodded quickly and the troll children smiled in agreement. Sven walked up behind Kristoff and lay on the ground. Kristoff, too, lay on the ground, his head and neck on Sven, using Sven as a sort of pillow. The troll children walked up next to Kristoff and Sven and dropped onto their bottoms, awaiting for Pabbie to read the story.

"Okay then..." Pabbie said. He opened up to the first page and began to read to the children. He realized that it was a journal entry with no date.

* * *

_Some people may call what I'm about to describe a myth. The full details to the event were lost as time progressed, and all of those who were there to experience it are now in the ground. I'm not sure if anyone truly believes this anymore. This story has been passed down to me from my father, and he was told it by his father, and so forth. I'm not sure if I even believe it myself as it is too ridiculous to even be real. No one I know knows this story, and that may be for the best. I am writing it down only because I have no sons of my own, and I won't allow the story to be lost forever._

_A long time ago, about three thousand years or so, there was a time of magic. A time of darkness. Four individuals, descendants of spirits and gods as some may say, had control over the elements fire, ice, lightning, and darkness itself. Some say that they have cursed themselves with the powers in that time while others may say that they were blessed by the mythical trolls. It mattered not how they came across these powers._

_The woman who had control over darkness was the leader and the strongest out of the four. All used their powers for mischief, using them in unholy manners. The normal humans have grown to despise them so. Because of their resentment in society, they decided to take revenge on those who hated and feared them. Together, through unholy dark magic, they forged a dark staff which harnessed the dark one's powers and made her stronger than ever. The combined power of the staff and the blood of the powered elementals allowed for the dark one to put the world into an eternal darkness. It is said that the sky turned black and evil creatures made of pure darkness spawned around the earth. No light from the sun or moon shined upon the world. If it weren't for man made light, such as fire, the world would've been pitch black. The plants started dying, and because of that, so did the animals. Food was becoming scarce._

_The other three powered individuals, the fire, ice, and lightning users, disapproved of everything following the eternal shadow. After seeing the humans suffer greatly, the three had finally seen the error of their ways. They betrayed the dark one and joined the race of men. The three were able to muster a large army of men to use against their former ally. The army of men met the dark one's hoard of creatures in battle. But, the army of men proved to be too weak. Although the creatures could die, they were much stronger under the shadowy sky. Most of the army died in that battle. _

_All hope seemed to be lost. There was only one more hope for mankind's salvation; the trolls. The trolls and humans have never been very close with each other, but they had to work together in order to defeat the new menace. Using the magic of trolls and the metal of men, a single sword was forged that harnessed light. Mankind and the elementals asked for more magic from the trolls, but believing that mankind would misuse all of that power, they refused. Using the sword of light, Ludicium, the elementals and the few men that were alive in the army marched into battle against the dark one. _

_The battle was said to have lasted many days. The side of light suffered many casualties. Eventually, the elementals used the sword of light against the dark one and destroyed her body. Her spirit, however, was still alive. Before anything else could happen, the trolls trapped the dark spirit inside a prison which is not meant to be found. The staff, as it had no connection to it's master, lost all power and became nothing more than a normal staff. Both were put in a place meant for no one to find. That was not the end of the trolls' deeds. Believing that Ludicium, the sword of light, was too powerful for men to use, the trolls locked it away as well, telling it's location to no one._

_They all hoped that it would be the end of the dark uprising. Soon, though, the troll leader provided a prophecy which he believed was inevitable. _

_"The darkness shall come, from one who's not hallow. The world will soon plummet, in an eternal shadow." The troll leader believed that one day, the dark one will return, and the world will be put under an eternal shadow once again._

_Like I said, this is all just a lost story. That's all I hope it is. All of this seems so ridiculous and unnatural. I can't imagine all of this actually taking place. This all sounds like nothing more than a fairy tale._

* * *

That's where the story ended. Pabbie flipped through the pages of the large book and found that it all was empty. No other words were written down in the large book. Pabbie feared that the writer met his untimely end before writing down any other entries. He looked down at the children. All seemed to be asleep already. Kristoff snoozed with his head over Sven's back and the troll children were already in their rock form. Pabbie wondered if they even heard him read most of the story. In a way, he was glad that they didn't hear all of it. This tale was not one that was for children.

Pabbie's eyes were wide open. The story replayed in his mind, haunting him. He hoped that it was not true. He hoped that it was not real. He wouldn't have believed it at all if it wasn't for one detail. The name Ludicium was very familiar to him. He, and all trolls, were very acquainted with the name. Most had no idea what it was. All they knew was it's location and that it was a secret that the trolls should keep to themselves. Could it be that the Ludicium that Pabbie knew was the sword of light itself? He hoped that it was just a coincidence that the names were the same. But, many of the things said in the story did not seem like coincidences to Pabbie. Before, Pabbie knew nothing of the darkness nor did he know that there were people with powers before Elsa who came to him a long time ago.

This was a tale lost with time. For all he knew, Pabbie was the only living thing that knows this story. It was not something that he should run around spreading. Ludicium was the only thing that gave Pabbie an uneasy feeling that this story was perhaps an actual event. But, that would be ridiculous. Dark creatures? A staff of darkness? That was something Pabbie believed to be folly. He was no stranger to people with magic abilities, though. Elsa, for example, had magic powers just like the elementals in the story. Pabbie did not know if there were others in the world like Elsa.

The prophecy was what made him the most uneasy. It sounded like something a troll would actually predict. Luckily, there were no signs of darkness in the world like the one described. Pabbie hoped that, if the story was indeed true, the darkness would never come. He could not imagine a world in an eternal darkness. He believed that it was just a myth, though. No way would there be enough magic to do that to the world. It was unnatural and didn't make sense. This magic does not exist, Pabbie was sure.

Pabbie put together the similarities to the story and the current world. There is something called the Ludicium that the trolls must keep secret. There are such a thing as powers. Other than that, there were no other similarities. So, he finally decided that the story was indeed a fraud. It was just a tale to entertain others with. The proof of it actually have taken place was very faint or non-existent.

He couldn't let others worry about this story. He knew that he should just keep it to himself. That would probably be best for everybody.

"It's just a tale." Pabbie whispered to himself. "I hope..."

Little did he know that it was more than just a tale. Little did he know that darkness will rise.

* * *

**Frozen: A Sky of Shadows**

**Written by InfiniteAssassin**

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter is about 4600 words in all, including the summaries. The prologue is truly about 2500 words. The future chapters will be much longer and intense, I assure you. I know how confusing all of this magic stuff may be, but trust me, stick around and it will pay off nicely. Please review/comment on this first chapter! I'm going to tease the next chapter with this; you're going to see a familiar yet unfriendly face: Lilith. Also, I will have a little trouble writing some chapters because I use my iPad a lot when writing, and my iPad is really old. I have iOS 8 on it and the performance is horrible. Please forgive me! Ciao.

You guys also have to know that I don't read fanfiction at all. I only write it. So, if there is ever something you see in my story that is similar to another fic, don't sue me!

**Important**

I decided to start something called the question of the day where I ask you guys a question and you answer it in the reviews. The best answer will be acknowledged in the next chapter in an author's note and you will be praised. Also, I can't come up with all of these question on my own. If you have a suggestion for a question, shoot me a PM if you're a user, but if you're a guest, then just write it down in the comments/review section. They can be related to anything media. I'm doing this because I want as much interaction with you guys that I possibly can have.

**QOTD: Do you think Kai is a hero or an anti-hero and why?**

**Ciao.**


	2. Darkness Shall Return

Author's Note: Yes, the picture for the story is indeed the master sword from The Legend of Zelda. Every picture I use is related to something in the story. Also, I didn't know what they were really called, but I'm just going to call them metal prison carriages in this chapter. You'll see what I mean.

* * *

**Act I: Rise of the Dark**

* * *

**Darkness Shall Return**

* * *

A few months after the epilogue of Frozen III: The Coming Storm

In the fall...

On the side of a mountain, a metal carriage-like prison was being rolled behind two horses, both roped to one another and chained to the carriage. The carriage was like a large, metal box with no windows but with two doors that would open in the back of it. In the front of it was a platform in which the man directing it could sit on and direct the horses where to go. The wheels were made out of metal as well. Inside the carriage were three bench-like metal chairs; one on the right side, one on the left side, and one on the side opposite to the doors. From the inside, there was no way to know what was going on in the outside because of the lack of visual aid. This made sure that the prisoners these carriages usually transported would never get any ideas.

There was a trail that was on the side of the mountain that the carriage was taking. It overlooked a valley which contained a river that flowed the same direction the carriage was going. It was very dangerous for the carriage because there was a large, steep slope right next to the trail. One wrong move and the entire carriage along with the horses would go rolling down the steep hill. It was a very dangerous path that most people would not take. It led to one place; a prison. Not just any prison. This prison holds some of the most despicable people in the world. Traveling there was like traveling to hell itself. It lay at the end of the trail which went so far that the mountains it connected to could not be seen from the prison.

Inside the carriage was none other than Lilith, who played a vital role in the skirmish between Arendelle and the Southern Isles. Her previous prison was apparently not enough to keep her obedient. After multiple escape attempts which resulted in the deaths of many of the guards, it was obvious to all of the officials that she needed to be sent somewhere else. That's why Lilith now found herself in the carriage.

She wore brown rags with no shoes on her feet. Her red hair was messy and all tangled up. Her wrists were chained together by hand cuffs. She had seen better days, that was for sure. But, that's how they treated prisoners. She was treated like she was nothing more than an animal. Killing some of the guards in her previous prison did, however, make her feel better.

Two guards were in the carriage with her. While she sat on the middle bench, one guard sat on the right bench and another on the left. Both wore dark blue clothes and black boots. They were told to keep an eye on Lilith and make sure she didn't do anything stupid while being transported. They both carried a dagger to ensure that nothing bad would come out of Lilith. They both were still cautious, though, because, as they were told, Lilith was unpredictable. Who knew what she could do?

"You haven't exactly told me where we're going." Lilith explained to the guards.

"You don't need to know." The guard to Lilith's right said.

"Well, if this concerns me, then I believe I deserve to know." Lilith said.

The guards were both unsure whether they should tell Lilith the truth or not. If they did, would Lilith be okay with it? There wasn't much she could do with the information now, however. Either way, she was going to find out sooner or later their destination. They might as well tell her there to save her the worry. Still, they were not exactly willing to give into Lilith's demands.

Lilith knew exactly how stubborn these guards could be. Unfortunately for them, she knew how to get what she wanted. She took a second to think of a method. Soon, she thought of the perfect method.

"How many friends of yours have I killed?" Lilith asked.

"You're a mental case that kills unnecessarily for fun." Said the guard on her left. "It's so important to you, so I'm sure you have some sort of head count in your mind."

Lilith shook her head and stuck out her tongue. The guard's grip on his dagger tightened and he clenched his teeth. Lilith noticed his rising anger and was proud of herself. She was getting him exactly where she wanted him.

"You killed eight of my friends." The guard said.

"Wow." Lilith said. "Only eight? I could've sworn I've killed less guards than that. But, since it's so much of a habit, I guess when I kill, it feels natural... Like breathing, for example."

"Yeah, well, you better break that habit." The guard said.

"I don't think so." Lilith said. "It's a fun habit. One of the very few."

"If you don't break it, where you're going, it will break by itself. The guards in your new prison are the best and strongest. They'll make sure to put you in your place." The guard said, smug.

Gotcha, Lilith thought. A little taunting was just enough to get her what she wanted. People were so typically stupid, she thought. Lilith can get watch she wants by bending with this stupidity. She had a feeling she knew what brought this stupidity; other people. When trying to defend someone you care about, whether it be honor or body, then recklessness gets into one's head. Lilith lost all chance of getting this recklessness when she lost Cade; the only person in this world who she cared about and cared about her.

By the small description of this place, Lilith had a feeling that she knew exactly where she was headed. Indeed, it was not a place that she wanted to go. She has heard that no one has ever escaped this prison, and there were more skilled individuals than Lilith put in it. If there was ever a chance of her escaping custody, now would be it. She had to get what she wanted most; revenge on Elsa and her friends.

Lilith looked around to examine things to see if she could find an escape. She looked closely at the door lock and found that it was very weak. If a little force was applied, she could kick the doors open with ease.

That would be her ticket out of there. The only problem was, though, that the guards were still with her and armed. She was also at a disadvantage since she was handcuffed. She knew that one of the guards had the keys. She looked down at the waists of both men and found that the one on her right had the key. It was tied to his large belt. The guard noticed that Lilith was looking down at the key, and he casually placed his hand over it.

"I don't think so." The guard said. "To be honest, you look nicer with your cuffs on."

"You really think I look nice?" Lilith asked.

"Don't flatter yourself." The guard said.

"Someone's gotta do it." Lilith said. "Are you sure you think I don't look nice."

The guard nodded. Lilith then turned towards the man on her left, deciding that it was time that she started to mess with him. He gave her a frowning face, knowing that he was not going to enjoy the things Lilith was about to say.

"You got a sweetheart back home?" Lilith asked.

"Who wants to know?" The man asked. "And why does it matter."

"It really doesn't." Lilith said. "But, I'm sure that you do have a sweetheart. I'm also sure that she is sleeping with someone else as we speak."

The man clenched his teeth. "Why you-!" He said. He reached his hand out towards Lilith in a hostile manner, ready to teach Lilith a lesson. Before his hand even got close to her, she grabbed it with her cuffed hands and held it tight. Lilith then jerked and twisted it. The guard let out a howl, indicating how much pain he was in. Lilith had just broken his wrist. All of this happened too fast for the other guard to react on time. When he finally realized what Lilith was trying to do, it was too late. Lilith swung her flexible leg at him, her bare foot smacking his face and breaking his nose.

When Lilith let her foot down, he grabbed his nose in pain. When he looked down at his hands, he found that they were bloody. He didn't know exactly how his nose looked but he knew for sure that it wasn't as straight as it usually was. Never before has a prisoner ever inflicted this kind of pain on him. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know how unpredictable Lilith could be. He also didn't know how strong Lilith's leg was. One smack and his nose was broken in the blink of an eye.

Lilith refocused herself on the guard on her left who had tears coming out of his eyes because of his broken wrist. Lilith lunged her upper body forward and extended her arms. She smacked him in the face with her cuffed hands, hitting him in the nose and upper lip. When she took her hands away, she could already see that he was bleeding from his nose. His upper lip had a small cut on it, but it wasn't bleeding as badly as his nose. In his pain, he let go of the dagger that was in his other hand.

While he was stunned, Lilith stood up and turned toward the man on her right, still sitting on the bench. He had a second to get himself together and prepare for Lilith. Unfortunately, Lilith already had everything planned out. She raised her right foot and shot it down at the man's crotch. His eyes widened and he wheezed in pain. When Lilith took her foot away, he instantly reached for his crotch in hopes of comforting it to stop his pain.

Lilith turned towards the left guard and grabbed his hair. She quickly yanked him out of his seat and the two were standing up, the guard standing between the other guard and Lilith. She let go of his hair and swung her chains over his head and around his neck. Lilith crossed her wrists, forcing the chains to tighten around the guard's neck, depriving him of oxygen. Lilith then loosened the hold, allowing him to take a few more breaths, but she still had her hold. She could've easily killed him in a matter of seconds.

She didn't like the fact that he towered over her. She used her knee to hit him in the back of his knee, forcing him to fall onto the floor and onto his knees. He was too focused on the hold Lilith had on him that he completely ignored the pain on his knees. Now, Lilith's head stood at least two feet higher than his head did. The other guard snapped out of his daze and looked at his friend and Lilith. He picked up his dagger which was laying on the seat right next to him, stood up, and pointed it at Lilith. They stood about eight feet away from each other. Now that they thought about it, the prison-carriage was rather large.

Before he could take a step towards Lilith with his dagger, Lilith tsked.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. No. No. No." Lilith said quickly. "I don't think so." She then shook her chains that were around the guards neck to visually explain her threat.

"Just stab her!" The incapacitated guard ordered. "Don't worry about me!"

"Unlike me, he worries." Lilith told the guard she had in her hands. She then tightened her chains by crossing her wrists, signaling the guard to not say another word or he'll be having a dinner with death in a matter of seconds.

"Don't hurt him." The free guard demanded. Lilith uncrossed her wrists, allowing him to continue breathing. "What do you want?!"

Lilith smirked. "It's something simple, really. I just want these off, and to do that, I need your key."

The guard nodded and slowly reached for the key he had on his waist. His hands were shaking as he reached it. He slowly raised it up for Lilith to see, his hands still shaking. Lilith noticed the fear he was in. This brought her mild amusement. She just loved it when people were scared to death by her, especially Cade. If there was one thing her deceased lover was scared by, it was Lilith. The fact that she made him pee his pants is another reason why he lover her so.

Lilith opened her hand so the palm of it was facing the top of the carriage. Her hand was next to the guard's head. The other guard cautiously tossed Lilith the key to which she flawlessly caught with her hand. She then used the key to unlock the chain that was around her right wrist, then she passed the key over to her right hand, and she finally unlocked the chain that was around her left wrist. The handcuffs with the long chain in between fell to the ground in front of the guard Lilith had kneeling in front of her.

"Thank you." Lilith said. She then grabbed the guard she had by the shoulders and swung him behind her, his body heading towards the doors. His body crashed through the doors, opening them. He then fell out of carriage. His body flew out and rolled on the ground outside the moving carriage. He then rolled off the path and onto the slope where he tumbled down.

Lilith turned to man behind her just in time to see him attack her.

"Why you!" The man said. He lunged at her with his dagger, but she casually sidestepped it. She then grabbed his wrist with her right hand and made sure her grip was tight and strong. She then grabbed the dagger by the handle and yanked it away from the man's hand. She then jerked his arm so that his body flew closer to hers. Quickly, she stabbed him in his stomach with the dagger and took it out, dropping it on the floor.

The man's eyes widened and he let out a weak groan. Lilith brought him closer to her, grabbing the collar of his clothes.

"Hasta la vista." Lilith whispered. She then threw him out of the carriage as well, his body rolling on the path. Although he didn't roll down the slope, he was sure to die from blood lost.

Lilith stood at the edge of the carriage, it was still in motion. The one manning the horses still had no idea what had just happened. Perhaps things would be better than way. Lilith climbed to the top of the carriage, trying her best not to lose her grip or footing as that would have disastrous consequences that Lilith did not want to face. She could've ended up like the first guard she killed on the trip, assuming he was dead for sure. Honestly, Lilith didn't care. As long as he was out of her way, she was fine.

Lilith tried her best to keep her balance while on top of the wooden carriage. Only there did she that she was traveling on a mountainside and she saw how dangerous her path was. One slip, and she was done for. But, danger always excited Lilith in some weird, demented way only she could find enjoyment in. She was the personification of crazy, and everyone knew it. The sad part was that she knew it as well.

Unfortunately for Lilith, the road wasn't as smooth as she thought it was. While traveling, there was a bump on the road that forced Lilith to lose her balance. Her body leaned over to the side of the carriage while she flailed her arms around to keep balance. The balance could not be kept. She fell off the carriage and onto the mountainside. Her body rolled down the mountain and towards the trees at the bottom of it all.

As she rolled, she felt pain that she had never felt before. She could've sworn that she broke a rib or two. Bruises would begin to appear all over her body. Cuts appeared just as much. She couldn't focus on anything because her world was spinning and the pain was too much for her. It didn't allow her to focus on anything. If Lilith wasn't a strong woman, she would've died easily. Unfortunately for the good guys out there, Lilith was a very strong woman. Her durability matched her insanity.

Before her body could crash into a tree that was at the bottom of the mountain, miraculously, she fell into a dark hole that was in front of the tree. Lilith then fell into complete darkness.

* * *

**In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.**

* * *

When Lilith woke, she found herself in a dark cave. The only source of light was the natural hole above her, shining down sunlight into the cave. The light shined upon Lilith who was laying on the ground. The cave was fairly large. In the middle of it all was a small body of water. It was like a large, deep puddle. In one side of the puddle, a staff stood out of the ground. It was obvious that no one has occupied this place in a long time. It could've been centuries ago that anyone has ever stepped foot in the cave.

The staff that was there was about six feet tall. It was completely black with two hooks meeting each other at the top end of it. Other than that, the staff seemed rather plain and there was nothing else unique to it.

Lilith felt most of her pain in her rib cage. She was lucky to have survived the fall. Most people would've broken their necks, but not Lilith. Out of all people, she was the one to have persevered through such a predicament. But, in no way was she in good shape. Her hair was messy with one million things inside of it. Her arms and legs were bruised and scraped. Some of her bones were broken. Still, she was alive. For how long, though, is the question.

Lilith slowly got up, blood dripping down her head from a cut. She turned her head to examine the environment that she was currently in. She did not pay attention on how exactly she got there, but she was there now with no idea how to get out. The only exit, it seemed, was the way she got in: through a hole. But, she had no means to get to the hole and was too weak to try anything out.

Lilith then looked over at the staff. Lilith pondered on what it was exactly and what was it's purpose. She took a step towards the staff, but then she got a spine-tingling feeling.

"Who goes there?" asked a disembodied, feminine, raspy voice.

Lilith could have peed her pants. She has never been as startled as she was in her life. She quickly turned her body around, trying to see if she could pinpoint where the voice came from. But, there was no one else inside the cave. It was only Lilith. Lilith has seen many strange things in her life, but this was, by far, the strangest. She didn't believe in ghosts, but after hearing this voice, she was about to change her mind.

"Show yourself!" Lilith demanded. "Where are you!?"

"I am everywhere and nowhere." The voice said.

Lilith, once again, got the spine-tingling feeling. She had a feeling that it wasn't the voice causing this. It was her own fear. Lilith feared little in this world, but she just found something else to fear. But, was it the voice that feared Lilith or the unknown. The unknown is what fears many.

"Who are you?" Lilith asked.

"My name is Mara." The voice said.

"Are you a ghost?" Lilith asked.

"No. I am nothing but the humble spirit of a powerful being." Mara answered. "I have been trapped down in this infernal prison for nearly three thousand years! And yes, child, I counted."

The words replayed in Lilith's head. None of this didn't make sense. Mara was speaking as if Lilith was accustomed with the supernatural. Although Lilith had her fair share of supernatural, such as powered beings, she still had no idea what Mara was talking about.

"What do you mean?" Lilith asked.

"Was I not clear?" Mara asked, annoyed with Lilith's ignorance. "I have been trapped in this prison for three thousand years."

"What is this prison?" Lilith asked.

"Step closer to the water." Mara ordered.

Cautiously, Lilith took steps to the water, doing her best to make sure she wasn't put in a trap. Lilith stood over the water, her toes touching the edge, and looked down at it. Appearing in the water was the silhouette of a woman, taking the place of Lilith's reflection. Lilith took a step back, scared of the silhouette.

"Why are you here?" Lilith asked.

"You do not need to know." Mara said. "All you need to know is that I want to escape this place."

"Well, why haven't you done it already?" Lilith asked,

Mara refrained from telling Lilith the truth. The truth was that Mara did have the ability to escape whenever she wished. But, her spirit could not go very far as it would be too weak. It could not sustain itself for more than a few seconds. What Mara needed was a body to sustain herself in. She needed a host, and not a single being has shown up in three thousand years. It did, however, take a few centuries to master the dark escape magic while in the prison.

Mara knew that if Lilith knew her true intentions, there would be no way Lilith would allow her to take her body. So, Mara thought of a way.

"What is it you want most in the world, girl?" Mara asked. "Surely something humble."

Lilith chuckled. "Well, not really. I want revenge. I want the power to get my revenge." She had dreamt of nothing more for the past few months. Every night was a different dream on how she was going to kill Elsa and the others. She especially enjoyed the ones which involved torture and other devious methods on getting revenge. It was all Lilith wanted. Once that was achieved, she could die happy. Being happy is why Lilith was who she was. What she does makes her happy.

"You make it sound like these people are like armies." Mara said.

"In a way, yes, they are." Lilith said. "They actually have powers. Fire and ice to be exact."

If Mara had eyes to widen, she would've widened them. Was it possible that the powered people she once called brothers and sister were still alive. No, it was impossible. They may be powerful, but they still have the lifespan of a normal human. But, Mara still had no idea how this was possible. Were they reincarnated? Were they immortal? Mara had no idea, but, she was certain of one thing. If she were to get revenge on anyone, it would be these people as they were the closest thing Mara had to the people that betrayed her three thousand years ago.

Mara hated the ice being the most. Three thousand years ago, she was the one who used the sword against Mara. She was the one who had the purest heart. The sword of light, Ludicium, can only be wielded by those with a pure heart. Mara knew this, and her icy friend was the one to use it against her. She had a score to settle. If there was anyone in the world Who Mara wanted to suffer the most, it would be the ice one.

Still, Mara kept her silence. She hoped that Lilith didn't know her story, and Lilith had no indication of the name Mara mean anything to her. So, Mara assumed Lilith was ignorant of the entire eternal darkness fiasco.

"I can grant you what you seek." Mara said, half truthfully. Mara wanted nothing more than to put the world in an eternal shadow once again, but, in order to do that, she needed the power of the combined blood of the elementals. She knew of two, but she didn't know of the third one; the electric one. Mara was sure one existed, though. She just needed to find him.

"How?" Lilith asked.

"All you need to do is put your hand in the water." Mara said. "Then, you will be granted unimaginable power."

"How can I trust you?" Lilith asked.

"If you truly wish to have revenge," Mara said, "then you have no choice."

Without thinking, Lilith stuck her hand in the water below. After a few seconds of waiting, Lilith felt and saw nothing. Be living Mara had lied to her, she tried to take her hand out of the water. But, when she felt that she couldn't, only then did she realize her mistake. Lilith tried her best to yank her hand out of the water, but it was all to no avail.

"No!" Lilith said.

Mara's maniac laughter echoed throughout the cavern. Lilith was doing her best to try to get out of the situation she was in. By putting her hand in the water, Lilith allowed Mara to latch onto her and choose a host. After a few more seconds of yanking, Lilith finally pulled her hand out of the water. Lilith jumped up immediately, panting and looking down at the water.

A long, black mist came out of the water and floated right in front of Lilith. Lilith raised an eyebrow, unsure of what is was. She didn't notice that it was slowly getting closer to her. But, before Lilith could do anything, it was too late. The black mist rushed into her mouth which was forced wide open. Lilith tried to scream but the black mist wouldn't allow her to. All she could do was choke. Lilith was not necessarily in pain, but she was in no way healthy. She could feel her own life slipping away as the black mist consumed the inside of her body. She had made a horrible mistake. Mara wasn't giving her power. Mara was taking her body.

Lilith could not see, but the color of her eyes were turning green. Her red hair turned black and it straightened itself out. From her feet, black mist worked it's way up. After the black mist stopped moving up, Lilith's body found itself in a black cloak. Her rags were gone; replaced by the clothes a dark sorcerer would wear.

After the choking had stopped, the possession was over. Lilith's body was still there, but Mara made sure her soul was gone. Mara's spirit had found it's new host. It may have been Lilith's body, but it was Mara's now.

Mara cracked her neck. "Not bad." Mara said with Lilith's voice. Mara was not able to use her own voice when talking, but it didn't matter. She, at least, had a body, and she hoped that she could still use her dark powers. But, Mara never had full control of her powers. Unlike her old friends, she never learned how to harness them properly. She used her staff to harness them, and luckily for Mara, the staff was in the room.

Not only did Mara possess Lilith's body, but she had her memories as well. Everything Lilith knew and remembered, Mara knew as well. Mara knew who two of her targets were; Kai and Elsa. Lilith did not know anything about a lightning user, so it was up to Mara to find whoever that was.

Mara turned her head and looked at the staff. "Hello old friend." Mara said, smiling. She walked over to the staff, around the water. She felt a slight struggle as she walked since she hadn't walked in three thousand years and that she wasn't completely used to her new body. But, she knew that she would adapt in no time. Mara grabbed her staff with one hand and removed it from it's position on the ground. When Mara touched it, a small, misty ball of purple dark energy appeared at the top of it. It wasn't completely useless after all.

Mara knew what she had on her to-do list. She needed to get revenge on her old powered enemies, and since they were most likely dead, the closest thing she could do to that is to get make the current powered beings suffer. Especially the ice being. Mara hated her the most. Also, Mara needed the blood of the beings to create another eternal darkness. So, she couldn't have them dead... not yet anyway. First, she needed to locate them. Then, after learning a bit about them, she would make a plan that would ensure as much personal suffering as possible. That was the hard part.

"I'm going to turn off the light, and I'll remake the world in my image. A world shrouded in darkness. A world without light. A world without rules. A world without hope. A world without heroes. Darkness shall rise."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. Please review! Don't just answer the QOTD. I still want to know what you guys thought about the chapter(s).

Last chapters QOTD: Is Kai a hero or an anti-hero.

Congratulations to MoonlitShadowsoftheHumanSoul for having the best answer to last chapter's QOTD.

Answer:

Kai is a hero. Sure, he grew up doing less than moral things. But he also could've sat back and let the plot against Elsa happen, though he didn't. His whole life up until that point had taught him think only of yourself. But he chose not to, instead listening to the morals of his heart. He defied everything he knew, risked his well-being, for a woman he didn't know.

And his subsequent actions only show his heroicness further.

It takes a lot of strength to defy what your brain says and listen to your conscience, but he did so and now he has changed.

He is a hero.

To be honest, it was really hard to choose. Everyone had such amazing answers, but one did win. Thank you all go participating. I decided that each week's winner will get this prize through a PM: an idea of what the next chapter will be about. So, if you want to know what the next chapter will be about, answer the QOTD! Answers don't need to be long; just good. So, Moonlit will know what this chapter is about before it is posted. Winner of this week's QOTD will know what chapter three will be about! Ciao.

**QOTD: Do you think Kai is the one Elsa deserves? He has been absent in their relationship many times and the two have very different personalities, but, they trust and care for each other deeply. What do you think?**

**Ciao.**


	3. An Undercover Job

Last chapter's QOTD: Is Kai the guy Elsa deserves?

Best answer is from AllAmericanSlurp:

Elsa has grown up as a queen. Regal and reserved. When Kai came into her life, he was the one who opened her eyes. He showed her the fun of life, and how life doesn't always need to be stiff. The old saying: opposites attract. He balances Elsa by being carefree and defying death, and Elsa balances him by having him be at least a LITTLE cautious with his dare-devil actions.  
Kai and Elsa are the two people that they need each other most.

* * *

**An Undercover Job**

* * *

The plan was simple.

Kristoff walked slowly through the dimly lit corridor, littered with goons and thugs that acted like guards. Anna, who was wearing a blonde wig, walked alongside him, grabbing his arm. The two looked around and saw that everyone was giving them a dirty look. Obviously, they weren't happy with their presence. Kristoff couldn't lie; he wasn't happy being there as well. Where they were wasn't a place that they belonged. Luckily, they were there to help shut this entire operation down. When this was all over, Kai could stop working all night and day and he could finally get some rest. He was chasing hundreds of leads, and he finally found where he needed to go. They were at an auction. A human auction.

After they learned of it's location earlier, it would've been easy to just send a small army in and shut it down for good. Unfortunately, they still needed to know where the "goods" we're being transferred right after they were sold. During these auctions, people, mostly women, were to be shown around and if one buyer found her desirable, he would bid for her, and if he won, he would receive a ticket which he would take to another location where they would keep most of the women and pay there.

Many people were involved in this trafficking ring. Anyone could just walk in with someone they hoped to sell. That's what Kristoff was posing as. He was pretending to be one of these random sellers and he brought a girl he was sure men would buy. As Kristoff walked, he was holding a chain in his right hand. At the other end of the long chain behind him was a girl wearing a torn dress with a sack over her head. Her hands were covered completely in metal connected to the chain. Her ankles were tied together by chains as well.

Kai had explained the entire plan to them earlier. He had asserted it many times, making sure everyone knew what to do. Kristoff would sell the girl he had chained up and hopefully be able to buy another person. The girl, Anna, and Kristoff would travel to wherever the next location is to complete the exchange. That's where they be the heroes. They would free the captive people while they were there, and Kai promised he would take out the ring leaders where they were currently. If things went according to plan, which was doubtful, then everyone will live happily ever after.

The disguised Anna was there only for support. Hopefully, no one there would recognize Anna was undercover. Kristoff, however, would pretend that he betrayed his friends and kidnapped the girl he was to sell. No Arendelle guards were involved in this plan as that would just complicate many things.

As they walked through the long corridor, Anna's hands were shaking and Kristoff could feel it in his arm. Anna was scared. Actually, she was more unsure than scared. They always had the worst of luck, and if they were to follow that bad luck pattern, things weren't going to end well at all. Fingers crossed. Kai promised that he would be close to them and he would be there for them if anything went wrong. They trusted Kai to help them.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Anna whispered to Kristoff.

"No." Kristoff whispered back, truthfully. "But, we need to stick to the plan."

"When does sticking to the plan ever work?" Anna asked.

"What's that saying?" Kristoff said. "There's a first time for everything."

"Maybe..." Anna said. "But maybe not now."

"Relax and act natural." Kristoff assured.

"So, do you want me to relax or act natural?" Anna asked, implying that her natural self was not at all relaxed.

"Funny." Kristoff said, sarcastically.

"You know, if we get caught, we're dead." Anna said, making sure no one but Kristoff heard her.

There were many goons in the corridor who was looking her way, but there was no way they would have heard her. She couldn't afford to be careless. If they messed up, Kai would probably never let them in on a mission ever again. Usually, Kai kept his work and personal life separate, but, when Kai made a breakthrough in the trafficking case, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff came to him asking if they could assist in any way. At first, Kai was reluctant to let them help, but after hours of convincing, he finally accepted their help.

"Everything is going to be fine." Kristoff said. "If you don't freak out, everything will be fine." Kristoff had to be the one to keep his cool. Obviously, Anna was unsettled with this entire plan. She, ironically, wasn't being very optimistic about all of this. Kristoff, on the other hand, was.

Anna scratched her wig. "This thing is itchy." Anna said.

"I bet." Kristoff said. "Just deal with it. We'll be home and with Lena before you know it."

"We can only hope." Anna said. "I hope she's behaving."

"Lena's a good girl." Kristoff said. "Of course she is."

"Well, then I hope Olaf knows how to take care of her." Anna said.

Kristoff's eyes widened. Only now did he realize that it was a horrible mistake leaving Lena in the incapable hands of Olaf. Olaf had the mind of a child, and most children had no idea how to take care of babies. All children want to do around babies is entertain them. That's probably what Olaf was doing. And, Olaf would do some pretty stupid things to entertain people.

"Let's just get this over with." Kristoff said, wanting to get home as soon as possible.

Kristoff, Anna, and the chained girl entered a large, round room. The room was about one hundred meters in diameter. The walls were covered in torches so it was very brightly lit. A large, round table was set exactly in the middle of the room. Hostile guards lined the walls, swords at their sides. They were told to be prepared for anything, because if they weren't, they weren't getting paid or worse. None of them were willing to lose this job, so they made an effort to be vigilant.

At one point at the edge of the circular table, a small staircase was set up next to it. The stairs were between the table and the line of chained women. They all wore the same thing; rags. Only their buyers would provide them with new clothes, whatever they may be. The stairs were there for the girls to walk up onto the table and advertise themselves to the buyers. Most people would've been reluctant to walk up onto the table, but these girls were kidnapped and taught the worst kind of obedience. Death was a better deal than what they went through.

Sitting around the table were men. There were about fifteen men in all, spread out around the table. There was about double that amount of guards in the room. More guards were in the corridor that led to the room. The men all dressed differently, but they were there for the same reason. One man, in particular, sat on a table that was much more grand than the others. Anna and Kristoff both assumed he was in charge of the entire thing.

One girl was already on the table. Tears ran down her cheek, but she was forced to smile... or else. Anna looked over her and frowned. She had no idea how bad these girls had it. It was times like these that Anna was grateful that she was a princess who lived safely in a castle. But, it was also times like this that Anna wished that there were more people like her.

Before the couple could take another step closer to the table, the head man held his hand out when he noticed them. He was an older man with a mixture of brown and white hair on his head and chin.

"Stop right there!" The man said. Kristoff and Anna did as he asked. The chained girl behind them could hear the command, and she too stopped.

There was another man who stood next to the head man's chair. He looked like he was the head man's top guard although he was shorter and less stocky than Kristoff. He looked like he was wearing layers of clothes. In the outside, he wore grey. He had grey both on his upper and lower body. But, he had a dark, navy blue hood that was covering his eyes. That was obviously apart of another set of clothes he had under his grey ones. He also wore a grey, fabric face ask that covered his mouth and nose. Almost his entire face was covered. A sword was strapped to his waist. The sword was more fancy than the other weapons the guards carried in the room. It looked like it belonged to royalty.

The head man looked up at the top guard and whispered "Search them." The head guard nodded and walked around the table to get to Kristoff and Anna.

He stood in front of the couple. "Arms spread." The guard ordered. Kristoff let go of the chain he had in his hand and he took a few steps away from Anna. The two then stretched their arms in a wingspan. The guard focused on Anna and started to pat her down, searching her. He could find nothing of consequence. He then looked over at Kristoff and got closer to him.

The guard then proceeded to pat Kristoff down as well. He then started to pat down Kristoff's thigh and groin area.

"Having fun there, pal?" Kristoff asked, jokingly.

The guard immediately took his hands off of Kristoff and stood up, out of his crouching position. He then punched Kristoff in the gut as hard as he could. Kristoff bent forward and groaned in pain, wheezing as well. Anna put her hands over her her mouth after gasping.

"Please, Hunter, be gentle!" Ordered the head man.

"Respect me." Hunter, the guard, said. He then turned around and looked back at his boss who was at the opposite end of the table from where he was. "They're clean!" Hunter said.

Kristoff got himself together and straightened himself out. He was a bit sore from the punch but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Anna grabbed his arm, telling him that it was okay as long as she was there. Kristoff and Anna then walked to the table and found two empty chairs in front of them. They both took their seats, sitting at the opposite end of where the head man was sitting.

"Who are you?" The head man asked Kristoff.

"My name is Kristoff Bjorgman." Kristoff answered.

"That's the name of Arendelle's official ice master and deliverer." One buyer pointed out.

"Indeed." The head man said. "You're far away from your castle, boy. Are you not married to the princess?"

Anna looked down at the table, hoping that no one would recognize her. If any did, the entire plan would've failed quickly.

"I was." Kristoff said. "But, that life just wasn't for me. I stole what I could and ran, hoping to find a more exciting life. Now, I find myself here."

"Then who's the broad?" One buyer asked. "Are you selling her?"

"This is a wench I picked up at a nearby brothel." Kristoff lied. "No, she's not for sale."

"This meeting is not one where you should bring a date, Mister Bjorgman." The head man says.

"My deepest apologies." Kristoff said. "But, it is rude to ask for my name without me knowing yours." He said to the head man.

"I only share my name on account of business." The head man said. "Are you here for business."

"I'm here for pleasure!" Kristoff said. "It's funny how sometimes the two cross."

The head man smiled. "My name is Gerald."

Kristoff was getting far in this conversation. So far, no one seemed to distrust him. No one showed any form of hostility except for the head guard, Hunter. Things were going great for both Kristoff and Anna. But, the bulk of the plan was yet to be done. They still had a long way to go before they finished their mission. Hopefully, the rest of the mission will be just as smooth as the few minutes.

"Well, Gerald," Kristoff said, "I did not come in here empty handed." Kristoff looked over at the girl he had and pulled her chain, telling her to walk forward. He then stood up and awaited her arrival. When she got in front of Kristoff, Kristoff grabbed her waist and lifted her up onto the table. There, she continued to walk until she was in the middle. That was where Kristoff ordered her to stop walking.

Kristoff, himself, jumped onto the table and stood next to the girl. "I present to you..." Kristoff said. He then grabbed the sack on the girls head and pulled it off. There, everyone saw who the girl truly was; Elsa. Her hair was in one braid that fell down onto her chest. Her mouth was gagged. An angry look was in her eyes.

The entire room gasped in surprise. Most wondered how Kristoff even got a hold of Elsa while some wondered how much they were willing to pay for her.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Kristoff presented.

"How?" Gerald said in astonishment. "How did you get a hold of her?"

"It wasn't hard." Kristoff lied. "I broke into her room while she was sleeping and chained her up. Also, she's not that heavy to carry."

Kristoff removed her gag and ran back to the edge of the table, hopped off, and took his seat next to a disguised Anna.

Of course, Elsa was also informed of the plan. She was to be the bait in it. She just hoped that it would work. Standing there sickened her. She knew she had to put a stop to everything happening in the room. It was foul and was not something she was willing to put up with in her kingdom. She also had to pretend she was angry at Kristoff.

She looked over at Kristoff. "Traitor!" Elsa exclaimed. "I trusted you! I gave you a home! I gave you a job! This is how you repay me?"

"You're still bringing up these points again?" Kristoff asked. "What was that saying? Oh yes! Let it go."

"Enough!" Elsa said. "I am a Queen!"

"Indeed you are." Gerald said, smirking. He was thinking about all the fun he could have with Elsa under his control. Not only him, but almost every buyer wanted Elsa with them. Sure, her powers would've been a complication, but they were sure that they would find a way.

Speaking of powers, Elsa easily could've escaped this situation. She could easily use her feet to freeze the entire room, but, she decided to just stick to the plan. They still needed to find out where they were keeping a majority of the prisoners, and they intended to find out.

"Now." Gerald said. "We have much to discuss."

"I won't be dealt under the likes of you." Elsa said to Gerald, her eyes with a fire in them.

"Bold words from our prisoner." Gerald said. He then looked past Elsa, over at Kristoff. Knowing that Kristoff was the one calling the shots over Elsa, Gerald decided it wasn't his place to decide how much Elsa was worth. But, since she was a Queen, and a beautiful queen at that, he knew that Elsa was worth a lot.

Kristoff, knowing that things would be much easier if Elsa kept quite, once again hopped onto the table. He walked over to her with her gag and tied it around her mouth. She gave Kristoff a look that said "Are you serious?" Elsa just shrugged it off, knowing that KaI would probably approve of Kristoff's choice.

"So?" Gerald asked. "How much is she worth?"

Elsa turned over to Kristoff and raised an eyebrow. This was where Elsa would learn how much she is worth in Kristoff's eyes. If Kristoff gave her a low price, Elsa would be offended, but if he gave her a high price, that would just be weird. The two were, in fact, siblings in law.

"Uh..." Kristoff said, pressure on him. "One thousand at the least."

The look on Elsa's face told Kristoff that that was an acceptable number.

That's when the bidding war began. Buyer after buyer, they kept shouting out prices, going up each time. Elsa should've been flattered. People wanted to buy her that much. But, how could she be flattered if the buyers were such creeps? It would have been very strange if she was flattered. Even Anna would've found it weird.

The shouting turned into screaming. Elsa's ears rang with four digit numbers repeating themselves in her mind. She was getting sick and tired with this bidding war. Gerald, Kristoff, and Anna were as well. All of them just stayed silent, letting the others do the talking. Hunter just stood there, arms crossed, looking down as if he was embarrassed that these were the people he was working for. He easily could've controlled the crowd, but he decided that it would be more entertaining for him if he just let everything that was happening happen.

Then, from a door that led to another corridor, in came a random guard. He slammed the door open with a force as if he was in a hurry. He jogged over to Gerald and stood next to him, panting out of exhaustion. Hunter, uneasily, wondered what the guard was doing here.

The guard's lips were moving, but Gerald could not hear anything coming from his mouth. The voices of the arguing buyers were more dominant and prominent in Gerald's ears. Knowing that the information this guard carried was vital, otherwise he wouldn't have interrupted the meeting, Gerald knew that listening to the guard was a priority. It was perhaps more important than the buying of Elsa.

There was only so much he could do to shut everyone in the room up... Luckily it was in his power to do it.

"ENOUGH!" Gerald yelled. Immediately, the room went silent. All eyes focused on Gerald with no distractions. He obviously has asserted his authority over the others. No one was going to question him. Gerald was a very wealthy man. He started this trafficking organization and he profited so much from it. The respect he earned on his rise to wealth was also very large. If Gerald wanted something done, it would get done. No one has ever dared to step up against him... No one except Kai and his friends at least.

Kai had been chasing Gerald's tail for about an entire year. Kai remembered this because he started the case the same day Lena was born which was approximately a year ago.

"Thank you." Gerald said. He then turned his head up to look at his goon. "Now, what was it that you needed to tell me?"

"We found one of our men knocked out and tied up!" The goon said. "He wore nothing but his undergarments. Someone had taken his clothes."

"Do you know exactly who it was?" Hunter asked.

The goon shook his head. "He was unconscious and we weren't able to get him up."

Gerald then looked over at Elsa. He looked down at her bare feet and noticed something wasn't right. Only then did he realize Elsa easily could've used her powers from her feet, but she didn't for a reason unknown to Gerald. He wondered if she was purposely holding back. The question was; why? Gerald knew that there was no way Elsa would willingly give herself up easily to be sold. Something didn't add up, that was for sure.

He then looked over at Kristoff and his "date". Gerald had seen the face of the princess of Arendelle once, but he knew it well enough to compare it with the face of Kristoff's date. The similarities were uncanny. Why would a princess be in a place like this? Then, he thought about how one of his men was someone undercover. All of these things could not be a coincidence. The meeting was compromised.

Kristoff noticed that Gerald was giving him an odd look. "So..." Kristoff said. "Where can I drop Elsa off for pickup?"

"Oh, I don't think so." Gerald said. "You thought you could deceive me?"

Kristoff's heart sped up and his breathing got heavier. Anna's hands were trembling. Elsa's eyes were widened. They were on the verge of the mission being a failure, and it wasn't going to end very well.

"I..." Kristoff cleared his throat. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You don't?" Gerald asked. He then looked over at the wigged Anna. "What about you, Princess Anna?"

Anna felt her wig being pulled off from behind her. She turned around to find that a guard had taken it off of her head. He threw it on the ground and walked back to his position. It looked like the cat was out of the bag. Their cover was blown.

Before Elsa could do anything to help her family, a guard ran up to the edge of the table in between two buyers and pulled out a flintlock pistol and aimed it at her. Almost none of the other guards carried a gun with them, so this guard was lucky that he brought one with him. Elsa was at risk of being shot, so there was nothing she could do at the moment.

Gerald, himself, pulled out a flintlock of his own from under the table. He pointed it at Kristoff and Anna who he saw past Elsa.

"There is a version of this where no one dies." Gerald said. "Tell me who the rat among my men is and you won't get hurt... much."

"We don't know." Kristoff said.

"You have three seconds." Gerald said, putting his finger on the trigger. "Three."

"We're telling the truth." Elsa said. "Please, just don't hurt them."

"Two."

"He didn't tell us anything about going undercover." Anna said.

"One."

Before Gerald could pull the trigger, the end of a sword tapped the pistol's barrel. Gerald looked up to see who was interrupting his interrogation. Standing where Hunter used to be standing was a man wearing a dark, navy blue tailcoat with a hood that was resting on his back. He wore dark blue pants that matched his tailcoat. The grey clothes that he was wearing were now on the floor. He had black hair and warm, reddish orangish eyes. Who Gerald thought to be Hunter was the undercover one.

His name wasn't Hunter, though.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," Kai said, "if you know what's good for you."

**To be continued in the next chapter...**

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Author's Note: Please review/comment! Chapters will be up every two to four days since I'm so busy with school. School is my priority guys, I hope you understand. Also, if you have a suggestion for the QOTD, shoot me a PM! It can be anything, ranging from what's your favorite (blank) to do you think (blank). Also, I just wanted to let you know that Kai's new outfit is loosely based off of Arno Dorian's outfit from Assassin's Creed: Unity.

**QOTD: Is it more important for Kai to spend time with his friends or be the Captain of the Guard to protect his friends?**


	4. Improvising

Last chapter's QOTD: Should Kai spend more time with his friends or spend more time protecting his friends.

Best answer is from SnowQueenElsaOfArendelle101: I say both. While he needs to spend time with the closest people in his lives and do his job, there's a balance in there. And I think they're basically the same. If you truly care about someone, you'll wanna protect them at all costs. I believe there's an old saying that applies to this question: Blood is thicker than water

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**Improvising**

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Kai's sword was on Gerald's pistol, signaling to Gerald that Kai didn't want the gun to go off. Of course, Gerald easily still could've used it on Kristoff and Anna even if Kai was threatening him. Gerald didn't know if Kai was bluffing or not. He, unfortunately, didn't know Kai very well. He didn't know if Kai was willing to kill him. He had heard of Kai before; Elsa's great Captain of the Guard. He knew that Kai had the conviction to clean Arendelle of people like Gerald. But, Gerald has never heard of Kai ever taking a life. That was the only reason Gerald believed Kai might be bluffing. But, there's a first time for everything.

Gerald was a fool. He should've known that Kai was disguised as his best man. The real Hunter, who was tied up and unconscious during this entire predicament, would usually not cover his facial features. Gerald should've found something odd about this, but it was already too late. Kai had the upper hand now. The question was for how long. Kai was still outnumbered greatly by Gerald's men, but it wasn't something he couldn't handle. To Kai, they could be considered practice.

Kai's dagger, his lucky dagger with a golden handle, was strapped to his waist. He quickly grabbed it with his right hand and pointed it at the sitting Gerald's neck. His sword, which was held in his left hand, the hand where Kai was missing his ring finger,was still on top of Gerald's sword. Kai lightly pressed the flat side of the blade on Gerald's throat, telling him that he meant business.

"Drop your weapon." Kai ordered Gerald. Gerald, who was hesitant and reluctant, did as Kai asked and slowly placed it onto the table. Kai used his sword to smack it away from Gerald. It slid on the table until it stopped right next to Elsa's feet. She was still standing in the middle of the table, scared that if she moved, she would get shot by the guard pointing a flintlock at her.

"You too." Kai said to the guard threatening Elsa.

The guard did not look like he was ready to give into Kai's demands. He just tightened his grip on his pistol and looked over at Gerald. Kai knew that if the guard wasn't going to listen to him, then he would listen to Gerald. Luckily for Kai, Gerald was in his palm. Kai turned his dagger so that the sharp side was touching Gerald's neck. Gerald's breathing got heavier and his heart pumped faster. He was scared.

"Do as he says." Gerald ordered the guard.

The guard sighed in disappointment. He gently placed his pistol on the table and slide it towards Elsa who had to step on it in order to make it stop. She then looked over at Kai to see what the next step in his new improvised plan was. Kai unsheathed his sword and strapped it to his waist. His sword was Elsa and Anna's father's sword which was given to Kai by Elsa.

Kai then grabbed Gerald's chair and pulled it back. He then grabbed the collar of Gerald's clothes and pulled him up. Kai then put his arm around Gerald's chest and used his other arm to hold the blade on Gerald's throat. Kai gripped Gerald as best as he could, making sure that Gerald could no get out of his hold. Unfortunately for Kai, he left his back exposed. Kai knew this and he figured he should be prepared for anything as that could save his life.

Kai then looked over at Kristoff. "Kristoff!" Kai said. "You only had one job! You had only one thing to do! Find out the location of the prisoners and don't get caught. How could you mess up?"

"Technically, that's two things." Anna pointed out, defending Kristoff.

"Never mind that." Kai said. He then sighed in disappointment and took a step back, away from the table.

"Gentlemen!" Kai said. "I only want one thing, and I'm prepared to make you an offer for this. Keep the location of your prisoners a secret, in which case all of you will get hurt, or, tell me where you're keeping them, in which case only most of you will get hurt."

Some of the stupid goons in the room scratched their heads, not fully understanding how they benefit from this. None of the buyers told Kai anything, nor did the guards. They all kept their hostile stares and kept their lips sealed. Apparently, threatening Gerald was not enough motivation for them to talk. Kai doubted that even torturing Gerald would help his case. Only Gerald's most loyal men cared, the very few he had. Even they weren't sure whether or not they should talk. Did Gerald want them to talk?

"Son of a bitch." Kai whispered to himself, annoyed by everyone's uncooperative demeanor. "Alright..." Kai said. "New deal. I-"

"Kai look out!" Elsa yelled.

Kai could hear the footsteps coming quickly behind him. Someone was attempting to attack Kai from behind. Luckily, Kai had great reflexes. He knew just how to react as quickly as he could blink. Also, he dealt with goons like these. Almost none of them had proper training and had no fighting style and skill. They all just attacked blindly with their weapons. That was why Kai could always beat them in fights. He knew many crucial elements that they didn't. Because of that, Kai always had a significant advantage when fighting.

Kai kicked Gerald forward. Gerald tripped and his forehead hit the edge of the table, making his vision and hearing blurry. Kai spun around and saw that a sword was coming down upon him. He quickly swiped his dagger upward, in between the sword and his head. Kai blocked the guard's attack on him. The guard genuinely thought that he had the element of surprise on his side. He didn't know Kai. Kai kicked the guard's knee, forcing him to fall on the ground.

He then kicked the guard's rib cage, making sure that he broke something. Kai was positive that he wasn't getting up anytime soon. Then, Kai noticed two guards running at them, swords raised. Luckily, they weren't attacking in sync as one of the guards was a few feet in front of the other. Kai quickly unsheathed his sword. When the first guard swung his sword down on Kai, Kai hit the guard's sword and brought it down away from him. As the guard was parried, Kai engulfed his fist in flames and punched the man's chest, knocking him back onto the ground.

Kai then looked at the other guard approaching him. Kai knew that this guard, as dumb as they usually were, would not make the same mistake as his unconscious ally did. That's why Kai quickly came up with a different strategy to take him out. When he was close enough, Kai spun around and swiped his sword at the feet of the guard, forcing him to fall back. While the guard was in midair, falling back, Kai, who was holding his dagger backhand, punched the man's face, accelerating the process in which he went down.

Kai had just taken out two guys in a matter of seconds. He turned around to focus on the people that made of most of the room's occupancy. If people were willing to fight back, he knew that they weren't giving him any information anytime soon. They weren't going down without a fight. Kai knew this although he didn't make much of a big deal about it. All it was a little complication which some violence easily could've solved.

Also, Kai wanted to see Elsa use her new skills. In the past year, Kai taught Elsa everything he knew about fighting so that she could protect herself. They've had plenty of spars prior. Her combat skills almost matched Kai's. If anyone was to take down Kai, it would be Elsa. They just hoped that the day would never come when Kai needed to be taken down.

"Well, go on then." Kai said to his friends. "Fight."

Battle cry's came out of all of the guards as they drew their weapons; swords, axes, and clubs. The guards had no reason to keep any of their adversaries alive so they could fight with as much fury as they could muster. Plus, the guards had a higher number. There were only four people they needed to take down. The only problem was that two out of the four had superpowers. It was nothing a group of strong goons couldn't handle... Was it?

In the split second before the guards ran up to the table to attack, Elsa quickly froze the metal that was covering her hands. She then used all of her might to take her hands apart from each other, breaking and shattering the metal. Her hands were now free, and she was ready for anything. Elsa prepared to run off the table and test her skills, but she found herself unable to move her foot very far. She looked down and found that her ankles were still chained together. She quickly created an ice sword in her hand and swiped down, cutting the chain. She paid no attention to the metal still being on her ankles.

She realized that she was wearing nothing but rags. She was about to change that. Elsa raised her sword in the air, and starting from her feet, ice formed over her body. By the time she let her sword down, her body was covered in detailed armor made of ice. The ice on her forearm was much thicker than the ice on her biceps. The same goes with the ice on her calfs compared to the ice on her thighs. A clear skirt made of ice covered her armor on her thighs.

The guards and Elsa's friends stared at her in disbelief. She had a new look which they weren't complaining about. That armor was sure to take a few hits before shattering. She was ready to fight, and she didn't intend to go down. She left one hand free so she could use it to use her powers. Her other hand was for her sword. Kai taught her everything he knew about being careful not to kill anybody. She hoped that what he taught her would be useful.

Anna jumped onto the table to join her sister as the guards were approaching. The girls stood back to back, readying themselves to face their enemies.

"I don't know about you," Anna said, "but I think building a snowman would be more preferable than this."

"That makes two of us." Elsa said. "But, you know... This all could've been simpler if you just didn't get caught."

"I agree!" Yelled Kai who heard Elsa.

"You make it sound like going undercover is easy." Anna said to Elsa.

"It really is!" Kai yelled, once again, hearing Anna.

"Is not!" Anna said.

"Is too!" Kai said.

"Is not!" Anna said.

"Is too!" Kai said.

"Anna!" Elsa yelled, seeing one guard running at her and another guard running at Anna.

"Frying pan!" Anna yelled. She then held out her hand. Elsa then looked down at Anna's hand and pointed her finger at it. A frying pan made out of ice appeared in Anna's hand. A good friend of Anna's, Rapunzel, showed Anna the delicate art of the frying pan. It was now Anna's most referred weapon. It was incredibly underrated and people don't praise it as much as they should be.

The two guards swiped down at the sisters at the same time. Anna blocked one guard's attack by putting her frying pan in between the incoming sword and her head, therefor blocking the attack. Anna then kicked the guard in the crotch, forcing him to bend down and wheeze in pain. While his head was close, Anna kneed him in the head, forcing him to fall back, unconscious and missing a few teeth. Elsa, on the other hand, swiped her sword so that she deflected the incoming sword attack from the guard. She then punched him as hard as she could in the stomach with her free hand which was covered in an ice gauntlet.

"You know, this technically never would've happened if they didn't find Hunter's body." Anna said. "So, technically, this was Kai's fault for not being careful."

"Is not!" Kai said, hearing Anna's statement in the middle of his own predicament. He blocked a guard's attack and kicked him away. He then started shooting fireballs at incoming goons.

"Is too!" Anna said, smacking her frying pan across the face of a close guard,

"Is not!" Kai said. He then cut a guard's thigh with his sword and punched his throat, knocking him back.

"Is too!" Anna said. She then jabbed her frying pan at the stomach of the guard in front of her, forcing him to wheeze and bend forward. Luckily for her, Anna's frying pan was right below his chin. Anna jumped and swiped upward, knocking him back and potentially breaking his chin. The bodies of the defeated men piled on top of each other next to Anna.

"Enough!" Elsa said. "Both of you! Can't you see we're in a serious situation." Elsa then pointed her hand down in front of her. In a straight line on the table, thin ice formed above the wood, forcing the running guard's to slip an fall. They were knocked out as soon as their heads met the wood.

"Besides!" Elsa said. "If anyone is to blame, it's Kristoff! He could've done so much more to keep our cover. No offense, but I think it's your fault."

Kristoff heard what Elsa was saying. A man who was running at him with an axe swiped his axe down on Kristoff, who was standing right next to the table. Kristoff stepped to the side and the axe hit the table, getting stuck on the wood. Kristoff punched me the man in the face, knocking him back and knocking him out. Kristoff then out his hand on the handle of the axe and pulled it out of it's home in the table.

"Is not!" Kristoff yelled.

"Is too!" Elsa yelled. She then raised her arm in the air. The ice that was already on the table turned into spikes that shot up, out of the ground. Two guards got caught in it and they couldn't get out.

"Is not!" Kristoff yelled. He then used his axe to swipe at an incoming sword. The axe hooked onto the sword. Kristoff then pulled on his axe, making the man with the sword go closer to him. The man tripped and hit his head on the table.

"Is too!" Elsa said. She then shot blasts of ice at the feet of the incoming guards, making them immobile, and forcing them to fall flat on the table.

While the four fought, the girls who were being auctioned off ran together to a side of the room and cowered in fear. They trembled and shook, scared of what was going to become of them. They didn't fully understand that Kai and the others were the good guys and meant no harm to them. If they did fully understand it, they would've done the best in their power to help out.

"You're right, Elsa!" Anna said. "I blame Kristoff, as well. Sorry, sweetie, but you're going to have to sleep on the couch tonight!"

"Am not!" Kristoff said, furiously. He then kicked the crotch of an incoming guard. While the guard was stunned, Kristoff smacked his face with the butt of his axe. Kristoff then hopped onto the table, facing away from the table.

"Am too!" Anna yelled. She then threw her ice pan at an approaching guard like it was a boomerang. It hit him on his forehead, and he was forced back, falling onto an ally of his. The pan went flying back to Anna which she caught with ease. In her mind, she thanked Rapunzel for teaching her these tricks.

"Am not!" Kristoff said. A guard with a club ran up to the table and smacked his club down at Kristoff's feet. Kristoff was able to simply step back. When the club was in the table, Kristoff swung his axe down on it. The blade went through the wood and it hit the table, forcing the club to be stuck. Kristoff then jumped off the table, over the guard. Putting his hand on the back of the guard's head, Kristoff pushed the guard's head onto the side of the table, rendering him unconscious.

"Am too!" Anna said. She then ran forward, towards a guard. What the guard wasn't expecting, though, was that Anna dropped and slid on the table, knocking him off his feet and face first onto the hard table.

"You know," Kai said, "now's not the best time to be talking about things like this." He then swiped his sword at the torso of a guard, cutting him and making him fall on the ground in pain.

"Kai's right." Elsa said. "We should focus on the predicament in front of us. But, to be honest, this wasn't a very good plan to begin with."

"Is not!" Kai said. He then used his sword to slice the hand of a guard in front of him, forcing the guard to drop his weapon. Kai then stabbed the shoulder of the guard with his dagger. The guard howled in pain as Kai used his foot to kick him off of his dagger.

"Is too!" Elsa said. She then shot a blast of ice at an incoming guard's sword. He was going to fast to notice the change in his weapon. Elsa just stood there with her sword down and waited for him to attack. He swung the sword at Elsa's armored arm, and instead of maiming Elsa, the sword shattered. Elsa then punched him in the face with her armored hand.

"Is not!" Kai said. He then shot fire at the feet of one guard. The guard started to hop on the ground, screaming "Hot!" as he hopped away from Kai.

"Is too!" Elsa said. She then shot a single blast of ice from her hand. A running guard was then trapped in a block of ice that slid around the table, hitting other guards and knocking them out, until he ultimately fell off the table where the ice shattered, freeing him. He would've been more productive if he wasn't knocked out.

"Never mind that!" Kai said. "You know, Elsa, you could have easily froze everyone in the room when they weren't prepared for it then we could've interrogated them! That would make things for us so much simpler."

"Could not!" Elsa said. She then turned her head to the left to see if any guards were approaching her from there. She was, unfortunately, too late to see that a guard had already managed to raise his sword to hit Elsa. Before he could hit Elsa, however, a quick, figure who's arms were engulfed in fire hit the guard, knocking him back. Elsa looked at Kai who had just saved her.

"Could too." Kai said with a smug smile.

"This makes us even." Elsa said.

"How?" Kai asked.

Elsa then shot a blast of ice past Kai's head. He turned around to find that the blast of ice froze the head of a guard who was just about to stab Kai. The guard fell back and onto the table, the ice shattering when it made contact. His face was kept in it's frozen expression.

"Oh." Kai said.

Then, Kristoff joined his friends by jumping onto the table and running into the middle to meet them. The four of them stood back to back, each taking a different quadrant of the table. Kai stood next to Elsa, who stood next to Kristoff, who stood next to Anna, who stood next to Kai. The remaining guards spread around the table, not daring to step foot into battle yet.

Kai sheathed his dagger and spun his sword. He then engulfed his hand in flames. Elsa spun her sword as well and made snow dance around her other hand. Kristoff swung his axe in front of him a few times. Anna spun her frying pan but stopped immediately when it smacked her cheek.

"Ready?" Kai asked his friends.

"As I'll ever be." Elsa said.

"Let's do this." Kristoff said.

"Can I go pee first?" Anna asked.

Then, the guards all let out another battle cry, raised their weapons on the air, jumped onto the table, and ran at the four. One by one, the guards fell in battle. Blades were met, swords were clashed. The four heroes, however, were more lucky in battle since they were on the winning side. But, the guards kept coming in waves. Waves that did not seem to cease. It seemed as though it was an endless battle. The guards would not stop coming, and the heroes would not stop fighting. The bodies of the guards kept on falling on top of each other until it seemed that there was no visible wood on the table from an aerial view.

Kai, obviously, was taking most of the men out. No one seemed like a challenge to him. Then, in front of him, instead of an attacking guard, Kai saw something else. Kai saw Cade in front of him, raising a sword in the air. Time seemed to have slowed down for Kai as this couldn't have been possible. But, instead of just standing there, processing what was happening, Kai blocked the apparent Cade's attack and shot a fire ball at him. Only when he fell to the ground did Kai see that it was just a normal goon.

This was getting very weird for Kai. He knew that he had to end it all quick for his sake. It looked like the remaining guards were on the table, approaching the four, careful with where they stepped.

"Get down." Kai ordered his friends.

Without hesitation, Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa knelt on the table and bent down. Kai then spun around with his arms in a wingspan. Streams of fire came out of both of his fists. They were long enough to hit every remaining guard on the table, knocking them down and burning their clothes. When the screaming stopped, and when they could no longer feel the heat, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff got up and observed the area around them. Not a single conscious guard was standing.

"Amateurs." Kai said.

"Wow." Anna said. "We're pros at this by now."

"Don't get too cocky." Kristoff said.

"He's right." Elsa said. She then turned to look at Kai. "In a minute, more guards will-"

The doors that Kristoff and Anna used to get into the room slammed open. More guards came rushing into the room with their weapons, ready to fight. But, most of them were wide eyed because of what they were looking at; their fallen allies. Some even dropped their weapons in fear. There would be no way the guards could take them down. Both sides knew it.

Kai smiled at the guards. "Anyone else?"

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Author's Note: Hey guys. I just wanted to let you guys know that the updates for this story will be fairly light in the coming weeks. The Blood of Olympus just came out and I want to focus on reading it rather than writing. Sorry for the inconvenience.

**QOTD: Rank your top five favorite Disney Princesses. **

I really can't make a top five list but my two personal favorites are Elsa and Mulan.

Ciao.


	5. Shocking Assistance

Author's Note: There really can't be a winner for last chapter's QOTD.

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**Shocking Assistance**

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Kai, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff all stood outside of the large building in the middle of a forest clearing. The trees around the clearing were decorated with red, orange, and yellow leaves, indicating that fall has arrived and summer was over. Although the trees were only surrounding the clearing, the leaves were able to fall off and find their way inside of the clearing and onto the ground. Every step the friends took meant stepping on and breaking a few leaves. The sound would get annoying to the friends, but it was the least of their worries.

A few dozen of Arendelle's guards stood outside with the group. Kai had ordered them to come to the building in a specific time. The building, of course, was the one where they interrupted the trafficking meeting and took out most of the men inside. Those who entered late had the option of either surrendering or fight until they fell. Those who chose to fight fell very easily and very quickly. The rest, who saw the example of what would happen if they attacked, surrendered.

The buyers were among those who were knocked out. Kai made sure that the men were all unconscious for a few hours before going outside. That way, he would give his guards enough time to deal with them and incapacitate them.

Kai stood in front of one of his guards, giving orders. The guard wore the standard green Arendelle guard uniform. Kai was wearing his dark blue, hooded, tailcoat rather than his old white, hoodless tailcoat. For the past few weeks, Kai had started to use his blue clothes as his normal attire. He realized that it fit in more and if he ever felt the need to sneak, they would do him more good than white clothes.

"How many handcuffs did you bring?" Kai asked the guard.

"Enough to arrest the old Roman Empire, sir." The guard answered.

Kai nodded. "Good." He then looked back over at the building. It's doors were closed and barricaded from the outside by a wall of ice, thanks to Elsa, to make sure that no one could escape from that way. Kai had done some reconnaissance work when he was undercover and found that that was the only entrance and exit.

"When you enter that door," Kai said, "you and your men will find yourselves in a corridor. At the end of the corridor, there'll be a door which leads to the main room. That's where you'll find the unconscious bodies. There are smaller rooms and corridors in the building, and I'm not sure if they're empty."

Kai was loitering around these rooms earlier, and he saw many guards in there. He wasn't certain if anyone from those rooms joined the battle.

"What do you advise we do, sir?" The guard asked.

It felt nice for Kai to have someone call him sir. Kai was only twenty five, and the guard he was talking to was much older than he was. Kai felt accomplished with himself. He shouldn't have felt that special, though. People called his friends similar things all the time even though Elsa was twenty four, Anna was twenty two, and Kristoff was also twenty five. Elsa was used to being three years older than Anna, but Elsa's birthday had not come yet.

Kai pulled himself back together, remembering the guard had asked a question. "Take a large group of able men and liberate the the building." Kai said. "Lethal force will not be tolerated."

The guard nodded. Kai then looked over at Elsa, who changed her armor into an ice dress. Kai nodded, signaling her to do her thing. She turned over to the door and raised her hand up. She then swung her hand down. The ice wall disappeared and transformed into snowflakes which drifted swiftly onto the ground.

The guards then ran over to the doors and slammed them open. They all then jogged into the building, ready to arrest some people.

Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff walked behind Kai. He then turned to notice them.

"Did we do good?" Anna asked, smiling hopefully.

"You did alright." Kai answered. "Things could've been done better, though."

Elsa put her hand on her waist. "You told us this already." She was sort of annoyed with Kai constantly bringing this up. All that mattered to her was that the job was finished and that they left without a scratch on them.

"Guys," Kai said, "or should I say girls and Kristoff? I need to wait for one of them to regain consciousness now. Only then can I interrogate them."

"I presume not all of them are willing to squeal." Kristoff said.

"Right you are, my friend." Kai said. "But, I'm very persuasive."

"Persuasive, huh?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kai ignored Elsa's doubt. He then looked above them and found that the sun was setting. An orange sky was covering the forest.

"It's getting late." Kai said. "I'll continue this tomorrow."

"But Kristoff's Reindeer Race is tomorrow morning." Anna said.

Kai remembered. Reindeer Racing was a new popular sport in Arendelle. It used to be called Horse Racing, but when Sven and Kristoff started playing, Elsa officially changed the name. It was ironic since Sven was the only reindeer that ever competed. But, Kai needed to finish this mission as soon as possible. He still needed to know where the "merchandise" was being kept.

"I'll be there." Kai said. "I promise."

"Can you keep that promise?" Kristoff asked. "I understand if you can't go."

"He'll be there." Elsa answered for Kai, glaring at him. She was determined to get Kai to be there with her and Anna. It's been a while since they shared any time together like that.

"And the day after that is the big day!" Anna said.

Elsa blushed while Kai's eyes widened.

"Already..." Kai said. He couldn't believe that it came so quick. It seemed only yesterday that he made it official. Now that it was so close, he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.

"Yep." Elsa said. "Our wedding day."

* * *

Deren had to hide his time. He wasn't fully ready to face Kai. Ever since Deren got his powers, he was training. He promised himself that the next time he would cross paths with Kai would be the last. Deren's revenge will only be satisfied when he is holding Kai's severed head by the hair. Deren was sure that Kai was alive. Deren knew that Kai's death would be more spectacular than a sinking ship. Because of this hope, Deren believed Kai was still alive. If he was wrong, Deren would have no reason to live. When Kai and everything he loved and stood for was gone, only then would Deren allow himself to die,

He counted the days that he had got his new electric powers. It was almost two years that he had his powers. Two years of hard training. Two years of biding time. Two years of hard work to survive. Actually, the work wasn't that hard. Deren stole what he needed as that was one of the skills he had learned in his younger days. Deren never dared to use his powers. He knew that that would bring himself a lot of attention. If anyone knew besides him, word would soon to get to Elsa or Kai. No doubt that they would look for him.

Deren knew that it was better to be thought dead than alive. In the city where he was residing in, no one knew his face. No one could tell anyone that Deren was still alive. That was good for Deren. That was great for Deren. A ghost was all he was to everyone he knew. He didn't allow himself the luxury of friends. He couldn't let anyone get close to him. It was better for everyone that he kept his distance.

None of that meant that Deren couldn't show up in public. It made no difference since no one knew him. But, the only occasions which he did show up in public were in a bar. There, he could hear all of the latest news and gossip from the regular drinkers. Deren had heard them talk to each other enough that he remembered most of their names. None of them knew his name, of course. That was the way he liked it. Mysterious and anonymous.

He would have blended in easily if it wasn't for the left side of his face being horribly scarred. He could thank Kai for being disfigured. It was exactly why he resented Kai so much. He used to call Kai a friend. Now, he called Kai an enemy.

Deren's swordsmanship has not deteriorated at all. He was just as deadly with a blade as he was with electricity. Every day, he would isolate himself in a forest clearing and practice his moves and abilities. Sometimes, he would raise his hand in the air and lightning would strike down on him from the sky. It never harmed him. Deren was also very skilled in channeling that energy. He made sure that the Lightning would never start a forest fire.

It always amused him whenever people talked about the random lightning strikes in the sky. Some said it was the wrath of God. Others said that it was of supernatural origin. If only they knew the truth. Deren would never interrupt these conversations. He would only listen to them, chuckling whenever he heard a bizarre theory. There plenty of bizarre theories. This was how Deren kept himself entertained. He had no friends to keep him company. He knew that it was a sad life to live, but luxury wasn't his highest priority in life.

Deren sat in his regular bar which he went to everyday. He pick pocketed people to get the money required to pay. He always sat in the same stool every night as he drank away. Deren would stay as long as he could; until the bar closed up. Then, he would retire to his comfy home in the forest where he would sleep in the cold. When he wakes up, he would train himself for a few hours. Then, it was time to head to the city where he ate what he stole and stole what he needed. Then, he would head back to the bar and continue the cycle.

Deren had no idea when he was going to go after Kai. He kept telling himself that when his body was ready, it would be time. But, how would he know when his body was ready?

Deren sat on the stool he always sat on in the bar, right in front of the bartender and the drinks. He had seven empty shot glasses next to where he was resting his right arm on the table. His head was leaning over another shot glass which was still filled. A large bottle of wine which was not open rested on the table next to where he was resting his left arm.

Deren knew his limit. He knew exactly how much he could drink. But, ever since he got his powers, he was able to drink so much more before finally becoming drunk. His powers somehow enhanced that type of durability.

He had no idea how being struck by lightning gave him powers. Many others before have been struck by lightning and wound up dead. Not Deren, though. This case was special. He figured that it was more than just luck. He wanted to believe that it was fate. That it was magic. Magic was not unheard of in the world he lived in.

Deren leaned back and grabbed his filled shot glass. Quickly, he poured it into his mouth.

"Another." He croaked to the bartender.

"I don't think you should be drinking this much, lad." The bartender said with an accent. "You've already-"

Deren slammed his glass onto the table. When it made contact, it shattered. Everyone in the pub looked over at Deren in surprise. The room went silent. Deren knew exactly what he had done. He knew that people were looking at him, but he didn't care. There wasn't much he cared about in the past months, including his image.

"I said," Deren repeated, "another."

The bartender was about to ask Deren to pay for the glass. But, Deren gave him a glare that gave the bartender ideas on how Deren could hurt him. The bartender was too scared to ask of anything from Deren now. He decided that it would be best if he just did what Deren requested. It was for his own sake. Sure, he could ask some men to throw Deren out, but he knew that Deren wasn't going to yield to a few men.

With shaky hands, the bartender pulled out a shot glass from under the counter. Deren's glare did not die down. The bartender pulled three more shots. That's when Deren's look eased. The bartender then prepared to pour in the drink.

Usually, Deren didn't drink this much. He had no idea why he grew this habit. Many drink to forget, but Deren didn't want to forget. He was in this situation because he couldn't forget. Many drink to enjoy. Deren had nothing to enjoy in life. If someone were to ask why Deren drank, he would not have an answer for them.

A few minutes later, the door to the bar slammed open. Normally, people didn't mind that it opened, but the fact that it was slammed open made people glance over at it. Standing in the doorway was Mara, or at least Mara's spirit inside of Lilith's body. Her hair was long and black, her eyes were a dark, evil green. She wore black robes that touched the floor. A large, black staff was in her hand. Mara extinguished the green light in the tip of the staff earlier to avoid drawing any attention. Everyone looked over at the door except for Deren. He thought himself too cool to care.

It was obvious that Mara did not belong. Her clothes were the first thing that gave it away. Yet, no one questioned her sudden appearance in the pub. Most were too scared while others were still processing it.

"Carry on." Mara ordered.

Reluctantly, everyone took their eyes off of Mara, continuing with their activities. They still kept the presence of the woman in mind, though.

Mara knew that who she was looking for was in the room. It took her a while, but she managed to track down the electric elemental. She was yet to know who it was though. The random, unnatural lightning strikes was a big red flag for Mara. The closer she got to the user, the more she could feel his presence and energy. Only she had that gift. That gift led her to this bar. She knew that a bar wasn't the most common place to find a powered being.

The presence of the lightning user made her look over at Deren. Mara's eyes widened. She knew exactly who he was, instantly recognizing him. Mara had all of Lilith's memories, and Lilith knew Deren well. But, Deren was thought to be dead. That was a detail that Mara did not care to ask about. She came in with a plan, but seeing Deren, the plan had just changed.

She knew how bad Deren wanted revenge on those who wronged him. Mara wanted the same thing. Perhaps, she could use Deren to ensure that both Kai and Elsa receive the ultimate amount of suffering. Mara smiled, with a new plan in her mind. If she could convince Deren, everything would be so much easier for her. Deren would get what he wants. Mara would get what she wants. It's a win-win.

Mara approached Deren and stood behind him. He noticed her presence, but he still did not know who she was and did not really get a glimpse of her.

"Hello Deren." Mara said.

Deren's eyes widened. The voice seemed so familiar. It has been a long time, but there was no mistaking that the voice belonged to Lilith. Deren turned around to face his old acquaintance. Still, there wasn't something right. Her hair and eyes were different. He didn't even want to get started about the clothes.

"Lilith?" Deren asked.

Mara saw no need to avoid details. "Lilith is dead, or at least her soul is. My name is Mara, and I have taken Lilith's body." Luckily, there was no one sitting around Deren to listen in on their conversation. But, most people would've been too drunk to care.

Deren's facial expression did not change.

"Are you not surprised about how far fetched I sound?" Mara asked.

Deren shook his head. "Lady, I've seen a lot of strange things in my life. There really isn't anything you can say that will surprise me." Deren then turned around and face his drinks. He grabbed his wine bottle and popped it open. Roughly, he took a drink. Some of the wine poured out of his mouth and down on his clothes.

He remembered Mara standing behind him. "Need something?" He asked rudely.

"I assume you're the cause of all of that lightning." Mara said, as if she wasn't already sure.

Deren quickly turned around and leaned toward Mara, his eyes giving her an evil look. "Who told you?" Deren asked.

"No one." Mara answered, truthfully. "You're not the only one with gifts."

"Ain't that the truth." Deren said, turning around once again and drinking some of his wine. "Why are you here?" Deren asked. "And I'm pretty sure you're not here for the drinks."

"I require your assistance, believe it or not." Mara answered. "I'll elaborate on this in a later time, but not now, not here."

"Not interested." Deren said, rudely. He then took another drink of his wine bottle.

"I'm sure I have a detail which will change your mind." Mara said.

Deren then turned around once again, facing Mara. He looked at her staff, wondering why in the world she required such a tool. It was obvious that she didn't use it as a walking stick. Mara noticed what his eyes were focusing on. A small purple wisp of energy appeared at the tip of the staff, and then instantly disappearing. Deren did not show surprise in his face. Instead, he showed signs of being intrigued.

"This plan involves revenge." Mara said.

"On whom?" Deren asked.

"You already know the answer to that, don't you?" Mara said.

A small smirk appeared on Deren's face. "Kai..." He said, quitely.

"And Elsa." Mara said. "I am... how should I say this? I am sweetening the deal."

"Alright." Deren said. He then grabbed his wine bottle from the counter. "You've peaked my interest." He then drank the wine until there was not a single drop left in the bottle. He was surprised by how fast he emptied it.

"I'm listening." Deren said.

Mara smiled. She had him right where she wanted him. Deren was now a very valuable asset to her, one she didn't want to lose. But, she could care less if she lost Deren or not. She just needed his blood. After she got that, Deren became a liability. She understood that she shouldn't be asking to lose him though. Right now, he was more useful to her alive rather than dead.

"So," Mara said, "what do you know about prophecies?"

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Hey guys! So, I decided that the QOTD should be asked every other chapter, meaning there won't be one for this chapter. In the next chapter, however, will have one.

But, I wanted to share something with you guys. I wasn't writing as much because I was too busy reading the Heroes of Olympus Book 5: The Blood of Olympus. I wanted to tell you guys what I thought of the book as a little bonus for this chapter.

Bonus: The Blood of Olympus Unofficial Review

I'll try to avoid spoilers

I just wanted to start this out by saying that I enjoyed the book. It is in no way a bad book. But, it doesn't mean it is flawless. The book, and series in that matter, is far from it.

I'm going to first point out that Percy Jackson does not have a POV in this story at all. I was very disappointed to learn this. He is my, and probably everyone else's, favorite character. I understand that he is not technically the main protagonist anymore, but still, he was a vital character in the series. Instead, we're given POVs from Jason, Piper, Leo, Reyna, and Nico.

The main plot is about the seven demigods (Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, Piper, Leo, and Jason) trying to stop Gaea. There is a subplot with Leo and Reyna about trying to get the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half Blood to stop a war between Greeks and Romans. I enjoyed the parts with Nico and Reyna the most. I found their POVs very interesting. I couldn't put the book down during their POVs. I was scared that Nico's POV would be all about how he struggles with liking Percy, but nope! It blew my mind how amazing it was. Reyna's, too, was very good. This book gave me a newfound like for Reyna. Most of the time, I found myself more interested in their story rather than that of the seven.

I was very excited for this book as I believed it was to be the best in the series. I soon found that it was not as epic as I thought it was. I believed that the entire story would be just as an epic conclusion that The Last Olympian was. But, for the first two thirds of the book, it was just them continuing their quest which somehow was more boring than the previous books. However, in that last third of the book, it was pretty amazing. It was just as epic as I had hoped for it to be. Unfortunately, only a little of this book was that epic. The Last Olympian was epic all the way through, unlike this one.

Now, I'm going to give my thoughts on the characters. Honestly, I didn't care what happened to them except for Percy and Annabeth. The series has failed to give me any emotional attachment to many of the protagonists. They are, however, very relatable characters. But, Percy and Annabeth have been around much longer than the others. That's probably why I care for them more.

I did not like how they ended the book with Leo. The book has failed to give us a proper goodbye to Percy and Annabeth, especially Percy. Though we may see them again in other adventures, I doubt that there will be a sequel series so therefor there is no proper goodbye to Mr. Jackson.

Speaking of Leo, I just wanted to say this; I do not enjoy his humor. I know how he's suppose to be the funny guy and comic relief, but his jokes are always so, how do I put this, horrible. I find him more annoying than I do a joy. The other characters in the book made more jokes that made me laugh. I just think Leo tries too hard, but I guess that's just his character.

The romance in this book is very subtle. Depending on the person, that's a good or bad thing. I think it's a good thing. I don't read Percy Jackson for the romance. I read it for the action. I did not enjoy the Mark of Athena as much as others because I felt that the romance too much of a strong presence in it. But, there are those who love the romance. This is just my opinion.

The Final Verdict:

I give The Blood of Olympus a good 7/10.

Pros:

Nico and Reyna's characters and stories are awesome

Subtle romance which don't interfere with the plot

Great final act

Cons:

Not an epic conclusion for the most part and does not live up to what The Last Olympian was for the PJ series

Did not make me care much for the characters

Awkward dialogue

Not a proper goodbye to Percy

Author's Note: This book has inspired me for my next project. My next fanfic will be a Percy Jackson / Heroes of Olympus story. More details are on my profile. It will be indirect sequel to The Blood of Olympus, called the Legacies of Olympus, taking place roughly twenty five years after. It will focus on the next generation of demigods and the offspring of the seven demigods. It will be a three part story under one story. As a special treat to my loyal fans who will check it out, I'll give you guys the names for the protagonists and his friends. (Names may change) You'll see these guys in my story. You guys will be the first to know their names, assuming I'll still be interested in this project.

Asher (Ash) Rowe - Mortal, half brother of Daryl Rowe

Daryl (Dare) Rowe - Demigod son of _

Alyssa (Lyss) Walker - Demigod daughter of _

Mason (Ace) Faulkner - Demigod son of _

Alex Wilde - Satyr

Helen Grace - Daughter of Jason Grace and Piper McLean

Odysseus (Odie) Jackson - Son of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase

Julia Zhang - Daughter of Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque

Belle - Daughter of Reyna

The Legacies of Olympus will be released 2015!

Ciao

**As of March 2015, this Percy Jackson project has been cancelled**


	6. Winner Takes All

**Winner Takes All**

* * *

The track was in the middle of a large forest clearing that was three hundred meters in width and length. The track took up most of the space, but much of the space was used for the stands. The track was long, about two hundred meters wide and one hundred and fifty meters long so it was ovular. Surrounding the track completely were elevated stands that towered about ten feet above the tracks. In the middle of the track was another stand which stood about five feet above the track. The middle stand was more of a platform than a seating area.

Elsa sat on a grand chair that was on an elevated part of the middle stand. She watched over the entire track from where she was. Anna was sitting on a smaller and simpler chair right next to Elsa. Lena, Anna's baby daughter, sat on Anna's lap. Anna had her chin resting over Lena's short blonde hair. Around them, musicians with different instruments stood in a circle around the platform. In front of them, guards stood with the butt of their spears on the ground. They were there in case any danger presented itself to the Queen.

The amount of people that gathered for the race was unbelievable. Never before has so many people gathered to see a simple reindeer race. The seats were completely filled, and the occupancy was much over the predicted amount. Some people were forced to sit on other's laps while some small children sat on the shoulders of their parents. Everyone wanted a clear view of the game. Miraculously, not a single fight broke out determining which seat belongs to who. People were to excited for the game and focused on nothing else.

There was a large hole through the stands which the horses/reindeers could go through along with their riders. So far, not a single competitor was in the track. The game was yet to start. Only when Elsa said it will start would the riders come riding in. But, they were running a bit late. It has been about five minutes since Elsa was suppose to give the order to let the game begin, but something was preventing her to do so, or rather, someone. The crowd did not notice the delay since most of them did not know the time. They all continued their chats amongst each other.

Elsa scanned the entire visible area from where she was. As she suspected, he was not there.

Lena was standing on Anna's lap, facing her mother. Anna was holding Lena's hand in her own. Lena had a huge smile on her cute face, and Anna couldn't help but smile as well. Anna raised Lena up in the air so her feet were off of Anna's thighs. Anna then lowered her down back on her lap. She continued this motion and made it look like Lena was jumping. The baby smiled and laughed all the way through.

Elsa looked at Anna to see her enjoyment. Elsa quickly looked away, not wanting to be tempted to take Lena away from Anna.

"Where is he?" Elsa whispered to herself.

Anna looked over at her sister and saw the distress in her sister's face.

"Elsa, what's wrong?" Anna asked.

"What do you think?" Elsa retorted.

"Oh." Anna said. She then recalled how Kai had promised to show up to the game the other day. She then remembered the lack of some morals Kai had. Kai's promises didn't mean very much at all. But, she knew that it would do them no good if they lost faith in Kai. Sure, he was late a couple times. He didn't show up even more! But, they knew he always had good intentions. Perhaps he was doing something that was ,ore productive than watching a race.

"He'll be here." Anna assured, not knowing if she believed what she spoke.

"You sure about that?" Elsa asked. "Plus, this is like the tenth time we've had this conversation."

"Hey," Anna said, "You never know. Kai is unpredictable."

Elsa didn't need Anna to tell her that. Elsa knew Kai better than anyone. If she knew one thing about Kai, it was that he had commitment issues. He would plan to do something, but then something "more important" would come up and he'd have to change priorities.

"And is that suppose to make me feel better?" Elsa asked, not satisfied with Anna's words.

"I was kind of hoping." Anna revealed, disappointingly. "For what it's worth," Anna said, in hopes of cheering Elsa up, "I'm sure Kai tried to make an effort to being here."

"Oh," Elsa said, "I don't doubt that." She knew Kai always tried to make an effort in his commitments. She knew that there were things he tried his best to do. "The thing is though, is how much of an effort he put in?" Elsa sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. This was a really bad habit of Kai's. He usually only shows up when he is needed and usually that's at the last possible second. The last thing she wanted was for Kai to crash in during the game.

Anna began to laugh, matching the laughs that Lena had. The laughs soon deteriorated into giggles. Elsa looked over at Anna and raised an eyebrow at her. Elsa was really confused as to why her sister was laughing. Had she told an unintentional joke? Was Anna mocking her?

"What's so funny?" Elsa asked.

"The fact that you're always mad at Kai for one reason or another." Anna said. "It's like you're in a love-hate relationship."

"Well, if I'm mad at him, it's always for a good reason." Elsa responded.

"What about that time you woke him up late at night and he didn't want to talk?" Anna asked.

"That was-" Elsa was interrupted by Anna listing another thing.

"What about that time when Kai said he wasn't much of a fan of chocolate?" Anna asked.

"He was-"

"What about that time when Kai worked a little late and you thought he-"

"Shut up, Anna!" Elsa said.

Lena was just turning her head constantly between her mother and her aunt. She had no idea what they were talking about which was normal for a baby. But, she understood that her aunt was not happy. Lena could process that bit of information. There really wasn't much Lena could do about it though. Her attention immediately changed and she focused on the amazing ability of making a fist.

"I'm just teasing, Elsa." Anna said, with a long grin on her face.

"No kidding." Elsa said, slightly annoyed. Elsa realized that the game had not begin. She took a second to realize what was wrong. Then, it clicked. She silently cursed and looked over at Anna.

"I'm sorry, Anna, I forgot that this isn't all about Kai." Elsa said. "It's Kristoff's big day!"

Anna managed a larger smile. She then watched as Elsa slowly rose from her chair. Anna then looked down at her daughter.

"Are you ready to watch daddy play?" Anna asked Lena. Lena had no idea what her mother was talking about but she managed a giggle.

Olaf then popped out from behind Elsa's chair. "Yeah!" Olaf exclaimed. "Go Kristoff!"

Elsa put her hand over her chest and looked like she was going to have a heart attack. "Olaf!" Elsa said. "Don't scare me like that!"

Anna giggled. "I almost forgot that you were here, Olaf."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." Olaf said.

"Obviously Kai would." Elsa muttered. "You know what? I'm done waiting for him."

Elsa motioned for the band to start playing. The musicians started playing their instruments, forcing the crowd to go silent and listen to what Elsa had to say. Elsa cleared her throat right when the music stopped and silence followed. The crowd waited in anticipation for Elsa's words, or rather, they waited for the game to start otherwise they would have no reason to show up.

"Loyal citizens of Arendelle!" Elsa said. "We gathered here today to witness what is possibly the most intense Reindeer Race of all time!"

The crowd cheered but when Elsa held up her hand, silence followed.

"This game," Elsa announced, "may very well end the rivalry between two of the strongest players; Kristoff Bjorgman and William Thatcher!"

That was when the crowd divided themselves. Approximately half of the crowd in all started to chant the syllables "Krist" and "Off" repeatedly while the other half did the same except with the syllables "Thatch" and "Er". Elsa knew she had to end this before fights broke out in the crowd. She raised her hand and everyone closed their mouths.

"Now, without further ado, I present to you the players!" Elsa exclaimed.

The crowd cheered and turned their attention to the hole connected to the stands. Trotting down on horses, the players came through. There were ten of them in all. They came in in pairs of two in rows of five. Kristoff was in the third row riding next to none other than William Thatcher. Thatcher was about Kristoff's age with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that gave people the impression that they shouldn't mess with him. Each rider had a six foot, wooden staff in one of their hands. The horses and Sven had a rope on both the left and right side of their bodies. Each rope had five ribbons attached to them. For everyone, the ribbons were a different color. Kristoff had green ribbons on Sven while Thatcher had red ribbons.

Kristoff and Thatcher were less than thrilled to be riding next to each other. In no way we're they friends. Enemies was too strong of a word. Competition was the most accurate thing to call them. Ever since the sport was invented not too long ago, the two have been the top players. Every game, they would tie. They would both win at the same time. They hoped that this game would be the exception, though they both doubted it.

As the ten riders circled around the track, the crowd cheered. One by one, they all broke off and stood their horses next to a large hole built into the wall of the middle platform. Kristoff and Thatcher continued to be next to each other.

"You ready to lose, ice boy?" Thatcher asked Kristoff.

"It's funny," Kristoff said, "'cause I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"Oh, I'm confident of my victory." Thatcher said. He then looked up over at Anna who was in the middle of a conversation with Elsa. "And when I'm done with you," Thatcher continued, "your princess wife over there may be interested in another rider who's not you."

"Have fun with that." Kristoff said.

"With what?" Thatcher asked. "Flirting with that broad?"

"No." Kristoff said, smugly. "Have fun with beating Sven and I."

Kristoff broke away and Sven got over to a hole that was facing where Anna and Elsa were sitting. Kristoff looked up at his family and they smiled. He returned the smile. But, it quickly faded when he saw that Kai wasn't with them. Of course he isn't there, Kristoff thought.

Elsa rose up from her chair when she saw that every participant was next to a built in hole.

"You all know the rules!" Elsa said. "But in case anyone has forgotten, I shall remind you. The riders are to be going non stop around the track. Each horse, including Sven the reindeer, have ten ribbons strapped to them. One way to win is to collect fifteen ribbons in all and put them inside the designated hole of the rider! But, riders may only carry one ribbon on them at a time. They may not collect another ribbon until they put the ribbon in their box. Another way to win is to be the last rider still on their horse or reindeer. Once a rider is knocked off, they are eliminated for the rest of the game. Riders may use their staffs for offense and defense. Are the rules clear?"

The riders all said yes at the same time. Some found it funny that the game was called a race even though the racing element was very subtle, almost nonexistent.

"Well then..." Elsa said. "Let the game begin!"

Instantly, the horses and Sven dashed off. Kristoff could hear the scream of a rider from behind and heard the awes of the crowd. He knew that someone was already eliminated. That was probably a new record for the quickest elimination; less than five seconds in the game. Kristoff has seen people being eliminated early game but not as early as this. He would've been amused, but he was too competitive to think about anything else besides winning.

Kristoff saw a rider ahead of him, completely oblivious to Kristoff and Sven's presence. This rider looked like he had his eyes focused on someone ahead of him. Kristoff and Sven knew that this was his chance to grab a ribbon and possibly eliminate this rider. But, Kristoff couldn't play the entire game on the offensive. He knew that there was a large target on his back and that he would be the prime target for most of the riders, including Thatcher. Kristoff quickly turned his head around and found a rider approaching him. The rider, however, was not at all close to Kristoff. He was about fifty meters away, and Sven was going at a constant speed. He was safe for now.

"Faster Sven." Kristoff ordered.

Sven sped up so his steps were much more spread apart and therefor he ran faster. Kristoff and Sven were directly behind Kristoff's first target. Kristoff leaned forward and reached his hand out to collect a yellow ribbon which was loosely connected to the horse. Before the rider could do anything about it, it was too late. When the rider finally saw Kristoff behind him, Kristoff already had a yellow ribbon in his left hand. The smug look on Kristoff's face gave the rider angry eyes.

The rider gripped his staff tightly and turned so it swung at Kristoff behind him. Kristoff's reaction was quick. Kristoff instinctively ducked so his head rested on Sven's neck. The staff flew past Kristoff's back. Kristoff then shot his body upward with his staff ready. Kristoff spun his staff, which was in his right arm, and hit the rider he was tailing. The rider was knocked off of his horse and rolled onto the track. He didn't stop until his body hit the side of the middle platform.

The rider cursed and slammed the ground with his closed fist. He then quickly climbed up out of the track and onto the platform. His horse ran until it found the exit/entrance to the track and ran out of it. The horses were trained to leave the track when their rider was gone for whatever reason. That way, there would be no obstacles for the other contestants.

Kristoff patted the side of Sven's neck. "Good boy." Kristoff complimented. "Now, let's go win this thing."

Sven ran around the track, ignoring other riders so Kristoff could steal their ribbons later, until they found their box/hole. Sven brought Kristoff closer to it as he ran and Kristoff extended his arm. As they passed it, Kristoff threw his ribbon in, scoring them a point. One down, fourteen more to go, Kristoff thought.

Kristoff saw that the closest player was not so far away. Sven sped up just to catch up with the rider's horse. By the looks of it, the rider had a purple ribbon in his hands while his own ribbons were orange. He was about to score a point for himself. Kristoff had no idea how many points the rider already possessed, but he wasn't willing to let him get another one. Riders were allowed to steal other rider's ribbons, but Kristoff decided it would be easier to just steal one of the orange ribbons instead of battling for the purple one.

Kristoff reached for the orange ribbon at the back of the horse, but he stopped when the staff of the rider smacked his hand away. Kristoff mouthed the word "ouch" when he looked at his hand. He then faced forward towards the rider who was defending his orange ribbon. The rider swung his staff back at Kristoff who blocked it with his own staff. Kristoff pushed the staff away and then swung his staff up at the rider. The rider ducked, and Kristoff failed his attack. The rider then held his staff so that it was between his ribs and his arm. He then turned his body and jabbed back at Kristoff. Kristoff moved his body to the left to avoid the staff.

The staff was still right next to Kristoff's body. The rider slowly moved it so it was touching Kristoff's arm. While that happened, Thatcher on his horse sped past Kristoff and his current opponent.

"Any last words before I take you out?" The rider asked.

Kristoff smiled and raised his left hand which was empty. It took a second for the rider to realize what Kristoff meant. He cautiously looked down at his left hand and found that his purple ribbon was gone. He screamed and looked forward to find Thatcher happily riding with the purple ribbon in his left hand. He looked back at Kristoff who now had an orange ribbon in his hand which he took off the rider's horse. He cursed and raised his staff diagonally above Kristoff.

"Say goodbye." The rider ordered.

Kristoff then jabbed the rider with his staff, hitting the rider. While in pain, the rider dropped his staff and slowly slid off of his horse and onto the track. Kristoff looked back, waving his orange flag.

"Goodbye." Kristoff said.

The game continued for countless more minutes. Kristoff counted the ribbons he took off of horses. In all, he counted ten. If he collected only five more, he could win the game. He looked at Sven and found that Sven only had six ribbons on him. Kristoff had no idea when, where, or how, but opponent riders had taken four ribbons off of Sven and Kristoff was completely oblivious to it. These people were better than he gave them credit for.

It took a few laps for Kristoff to realize that there was no one else in the track. It seemed that everyone was eliminated since he could see no one in front of him. He remembered taking three players out in all. The others must've taken each other out. Had he won? Could Sven stop running? No. If he had one, Elsa would've already declared it so. He also noticed that not all of the audience members were focusing on him.

There was definitely another player still in the game, Kristoff just couldn't see him in front. Then, it clicked. Kristoff turned around to find Thatcher speeding up towards him.

"I thought I smelled fiend." Kristoff muttered. Only Thatcher was in the way of Kristoff's victory. Sure, he could've won by doing the traditional ribbon method, but it would have been much faster to just knock Thatcher off of his horse. Though it would be quicker, in no way would it be easier.

Thatcher rode up to Kristoff and swung his staff at Kristoff. Kristoff barely dodged it by ducking. After he dodged it, Kristoff swung his own staff back at Thatcher, making sure he swung low enough so that ducking wouldn't have helped his case. But, Thatcher did something Kristoff had never seen him do before. Thatcher hugged his horse and fell to the side so that he was holding onto his horses side. The staff swung past the horse, and Thatcher climbed up, back onto the horses back.

"Nice trick." Kristoff complimented.

"I've got more up my sleeve." Thatcher claimed.

Thatcher then rode side by side, next to Kristoff. The two then did not attack each other yet, but they gave each other a glare. Both held their staffs with two hands, spread apart.

Thatcher was the first one to attack. He let out a battle cry and swung his staff so it would hit Kristoff's side and hopefully knock him off of Sven. Kristoff blocked Thatcher's staff with his one. The end of Thatcher's staff hit the space on the staff in between Kristoff's hands. Kristoff pushed the staff away and held the staff horizontally. Kristoff then punched his left hand forward, making the staff swung toward's Thatcher's side. Thatcher, unfortunately, did not have enough time to block the attack. Kristoff hit Thatcher so hard that both understood that a bruise would make it's home on Thatcher's ribs.

Thatcher, holding his staff with one hand, jabbed it toward's Kristoff. It hit Kristoff's chest, pushing Kristoff back. If Kristoff hadn't held onto Sven's neck, he would've been eliminated. Kristoff did his best to keep his feet off of the ground. He climbed back onto Sven who was having a nice exchange with Thatcher's horse.

"You just don't know when to give up!" Thatcher exclaimed.

Thatcher brought his staff up and swung downward toward's Kristoff's head. Kristoff brought his staff up in time to block the attack. Anna, who was in the middle platform, was scared for a second since she believed that it would be the end for Kristoff.

Thatcher was pushing his staff down on Kristoff as hard as he could. Kristoff struggled to keep his staff up since his arms began to tire. Then, Kristoff saw his golden opportunity. Kristoff raised his leg, which was resting on Sven's side, and kicked it upward toward's Thatcher. It hit Thatcher straight in the gut, and he was knocked off of his horse.

Thatcher rolled on the ground behind Kristoff. His horse continued to run and looked for the exit for the track. The crowd cheered and applauded as Sven slowed down to a complete stop. Kristoff looked back at Thatcher.

"Neither do you." Kristoff said.

Kristoff looked up at his wife and daughter. Anna was standing, holding a laughing Lena in her arms. Anna gave Kristoff a smile that showed how proud she was. Elsa was clapping her hands very quickly, glad that her brother-in-law just won and settled his score.

But, Kristoff could still not see Kai with the others. That made Kristoff wonder the importance of Kai's current task. Kristoff shrugged and put it aside. Now was not a time to worry about Kai.

Flowers and ribbons were thrown onto the track and at Kristoff. The crowd was wild with cheer. It was funny since many of the people weren't even voting for Kristoff in the first place. It didn't matter though. He was getting praise whether he liked it or not.

Kristoff patted Sven's neck.

"We did good today, buddy." Kristoff said. "We did good..."

* * *

Author's Note: I apologize for being really late for this chapter. I usually like cliffhangers, but not this time apparently. I was too busy doing other things to post this earlier. By that, I mean I was too lazy. I will probably post chapters at least twice every seven days, and that's a hope. I also can't wait for my next fanfic to be published. The Legacies of Olympus will be up after this fic is done. The only problem with writing that one is that many of the monsters and people in Greek/Roman lore have already been used. I know a few which I'm sure to use. But, if you have any suggestions, please PM me! Anyway, please write a review/comment!

**QOTD: Worst Disney Princess in your opinion (don't kill each other in the comments)**


	7. Things Happened

Author's Note: There couldn't really be a winner for last chapter's QOTD since everyone pretty much said Snow White.

* * *

**Things Happened**

* * *

The building where they were keeping the rest of the "merchandise" from the trade ring was another uncharted building in the outskirts of Arendelle, inside the forest. Unlike the other building where most of the negotiations took place, this one was not in a clearing. Trees completely surrounded the building, very close by. There wasn't even a path that was connected to it. People who do business or are somehow associated with the building were forced to memorize where it was and keep it's location deep in their minds. Under no circumstances were they to reveal it's location to anyone who had no business with it.

It's placement away from civilization meant that no one could hear the cries of the prisoners inside. None of the prisoners had done any wrong which made them deserve being in that building. The prisoners were more like poor, helpless people taken from their homes and families unfairly. The captives were mostly young women who were mostly sold to be a... Something that no woman should be forced to be and/or do. The very few men who were there were mostly sold for slave labor which, in most lands, was illegal. One day in their lives, they were subdued and kidnapped by these evil traders who would show them off and sell them. They would sell what was not theirs to begin with in the first place.

All of these people were taught to be obedient. Most knew better than to try to escape. Security of the building was top notch. Those who attempted escape suffered and their "owners" made sure that they would never attempt to rebel again. It was an incredibly cruel thing to do to these people, but money was what kept these bad men from stopping. As long as their profits were excessively large, then they couldn't care less about what they were doing to these people.

The building in the forest held the tortured souls of countless people. Kai knew that, and he made it his priority to stop it all before more suffered like these people.

After months of searching and searching, Kai had finally found the one responsible for all of this horror; Gerald. When Gerald was taken into custody by Arendelle's guards, Kai might as well have jumped in the air and fist pumped. Of course, he had to look professional and cool when he was around his men. Kai felt a sense of accomplishment when he took Gerald down. He could not express the feeling he got in words. But, taking Gerald down was not the end of his crusade. There was still something left to do. Only when it was all over could he have a calm mind and sleep at night without worrying about the next day. But, in order to do that, he needed to save the captives. In order to do that, he needed to find where they were. In order to do that, he needed answers.

Gerald was the first person Kai interrogated. The guards brought Gerald in a dark room during the morning of Kristoff's big game. The only form of light was from Kai's hand when he summoned a ball of fire to illuminate everything. But, most of the reason he had fire out was to intimidate Gerald. He wanted to scare Gerald into spilling out everything. He was not above using brutal tactics to interrogate people. In fact, he was quite famous to the Bandits because of just that. Kai only had one rule: do not kill another human being. He could beat and hurt others all he wanted, but as long as they were breathing, his conscious was clear. He would never kill, but he'd make people wish they were dead. Although, he had become much more refined ever since he met Elsa.

The thing Kai asked himself was what would his friends think if he beat Gerald for the answer? He had hurt Gerald enough prior to the interrogation. He didn't want to show them how bad he can really be. Lena was scared of him as it was. He didn't want to strain anything he had with his friends. He also realized that if he used thuggish tactics to get answers, well, that doesn't make him any better than the Bandits he once were with and fought. No. That's not how he wanted to get his answers.

Luckily for Kai, he didn't need to. It didn't take much to get Gerald to cooperate with Kai. After a few minutes of interrogation and a few, blank threats, Gerald finally spilled the location of where they were keeping the girls. He knew that his life was pretty much over since it would be spent in a cell. There was no reason to hold back on the information except to make other's angry and miserable. Gerald, though corrupt and crooked, was not that unkind. He was not stupid, and he knew exactly when to raise a white flag. Plus, he knew that Kai was going to find out their location no matter what, so he might as well have saved Kai the trouble.

Kai left immediately after Gerald said that the building was in the outskirts of Arendelle. The men that helped liberate the previous building accompanied Kai on finishing the mission on his request. Once and for all, Kai was going to end it.

It took maybe an hour for everyone to get there and find the place. The sun was still out, and it was starting to set. Kai stood in the front of his group of guards, right outside of the building. On the outside, there were no windows. The walls were a faded brownish, red color. It stood to be at least three stories tall, blocking the sun's light from the guards and Kai. He wore his navy blue, hooded tailcoat and brown boots. His hand his over his sword which was strapped to his waist. The castle guards wore their normal green attire which indicated their occupation.

Kai turned to face his men. "For too long have we been chasing these men in an attempt to liberate and save the people they have wrongfully taken." Kai announced. "I will take half of you men inside, the other half must stay out here in case of surprise reinforcements show up or if we fail." Kai looked around at the faces of his men and noticed that some were determined and some were uneasy. He didn't care who went in with him. If he had to, he would fight alone in there. Kai knew better than that, though. His men were as loyal as can be. There would be no way that they would leave Kai fighting alone. "We're going to put a stop to all of this, today!" Kai exclaimed. "Who's with me?"

Every guard cheered and raised their spears. Even the ones who were unsure cheered with wild looks on their faces. It was obvious that some had changed their minds. That was exactly what Kai wanted to see in his men. Courage even when you were unsure.

Kai turned around to face the large, wooden, double doors that was the entrance to the building. Kai focused all of his energy into creating a fireball in his hand. When he felt that it was ready, he shot it at the door. The door exploded into splinters and smithereens. Not a single trace of it was left guarding the door. About half of the guards let out a battle cry and charged in, ready to take out whoever stood in their way. Kai, however, walked past his charging guards to meet another guard who seemed to be holding the exterior of the building.

Both locked eyes with each other.

"I can't promise that we'll be the ones running out of that door, later." Kai said.

"Understood, sir." The guard said.

"I need you to be ready for anything." Kai ordered. "In battle, things happen. In there, things _will _happen."

With that, Kai marched into the building with his sword and dagger drawn.

* * *

The guards all raised their weapons and pointed them at the door when they heard a bombardment of footsteps coming from inside the building. It had been about fifteen minutes since Kai and the others walked in to liberate the building. Most of the guards expected it to take longer for any sign of anyone exiting. Fifteen minutes was all it took however.

The guards instantly lowered their weapons when they saw many women and a handful of men - barefoot and wearing rags - were running out of the building. Most had relieved and joyful looks on their faces. Following them were a few guards, only a fraction of what Kai sent in with him. Kai was however, not in the crowd. Some of the guards started to worry when they saw that there was no one to immediately follow the guards after the freed captives. Then, out came another wave of guards. This one, however, was not in as good of a shape as the others were. Many of them had cuts on their bodies and bruises in their faces. A few had broken weapons.

Kai was in the middle of the group. He didn't seem to have sustained many injuries except for a cut on his lip. Blood was trickling down the corner of his mouth. There was a small cut on his cheekbone. Some blood was on his knuckles because he punched a few people in the face. Other than that, he seemed fine. He walked out with his back straight which showed everyone the good condition Kai was in. He had a smile on his face, telling the men who were clueless that the mission was a success.

He walked over to the guard he previously talked to.

"Get a group of men," Kai said, "and incapacitate the hostiles inside by chaining or tying them up."

"What happened in there?" The guard asked.

Kai looked back at the building with a smile. Some guards were still walking out of the building, supporting each other as they did it. But, Kai's smile immediately faded when he saw a familiar face in the crowd. Standing in the doorway, wearing the same thing Kai recalled him of wearing, was Cade with a blank expression in his face. Kai knew that it was just his imagination, but it seemed so real. He could thank Cade for distracting him, allowing Kai to get the cut on his cheek. When a guard passed through Cade's body, he disappeared into thin air.

"Sir," the guard said, "what happened in there?"

"Things happened..." Kai said.

* * *

Kai sat on one of the fountains which was inside of the Arendelle Castle courtyard. Few guards were scattered around the courtyard, trying their best to stay alert even though half of them were half asleep. Kai's legs were spread as he sat, his back somewhat hunched. His golden handled dagger was in his hand. Kai then tossed it in the air, flying a few inches above of his head. When it fell down again, he caught the blade with his right hand on the handle. Kai repeatedly tossed it out of boredom, waiting for his friends to return. Not once did he mess up and accidentally drop the blade, nor did he ever cut himself.

Kai always had his dagger on him. As long as he had it, he would get good luck in a fight. He always won battles with it. But, then again, battles always seemed to come to him. Perhaps it was because of his dagger that fights always seemed to find their way to him. Some would consider that a bad thing, but he always won. There happened to be both a good and bad thing about that dagger. The fact that it was "lucky", however, did not mean it was welcome to all. Kai always kept his blade away from Lena, for good reasons. The baby was too clueless. The amount of damage Lena could cause herself with that dagger was extremely high. It was not a toy, that was for sure.

Lena. Lena wasn't Kai's best friend. In fact, the baby seemed to have developed a great fear for Kai. That was probably due to the fact that Kai can be very intimidating to everyone, and because of the fact that Kai did not know how to deal with babies very well at all. Kai was not a children pleaser because of the lack of skill and experience he had with them. He never would've thought that he would be involved in the life of a child this much. Kai found it quite embarrassing while he friends were somewhat amused. Well, at least Kai knew how to take care of a child better than Olaf did. Olaf was always so playful, and under only a few circumstances did he take things seriously. Taking care of a baby was not one of those circumstances. He took care of a baby like, well, a snowman. Luckily for both of them, Anna and Kristoff took most of the responsibility.

Kai shrugged off the thoughts of babies. Now was not the time for that. First, he had to explain exactly why he wasn't present at Kristoff's big game even though he made a big deal about promising it. They might think that he didn't want to be with them, which was not true at all. It's just that he couldn't be with them. There were things that were more important to him, and though that might sound cruel, those things benefited everyone, not just Kai.

When Kai looked at the clear, mirror like blade of his dagger, he dropped it. Replacing his face was the face of Cade, giving Kai the same blank stare he gave earlier. Kai wanted to stand up and yell "Get out of my head!" but he didn't want to look like he was losing his mind in front of the people around him. But, perhaps he wouldn't have been lying. Cade could not get out of Kai's dreams, and everywhere he looked, Cade was there with the blank expression. This wouldn't have been happening if Kai did not believe that he failed. Kai could not come to peace with what happened back at the ice palace, so therefore the images will just keep coming.

When he heard the gates open, Kai immediately picked up his blade and shot up, standing. He then sheathed his blade to look less hostile. Elsa, Kristoff, Anna, Olaf, Sven, and Lena in Anna's arms walked into the courtyard, all in the middle of a conversation. Following them was an escort of four guards, all who dispersed into the courtyard upon entrance. The group all had smiles on their faces, and when they looked over at Kai, only Elsa's smile faded.

Kai waved his hand at them. "Hey." He said, nonchalantly.

"Hi!" Olaf exclaimed.

"Heya, Kai." Anna said.

"'Sup?" Kristoff said.

Only Elsa stood there, quite, an angry look on her face.

"So..." Kai said, feeling a bit awkward. "How was the game?"

"Well," Kristoff said, "I finally took that jerk, Thatcher, down."

"So, you won?" Kai asked.

"Well, that's heavily implied." Kristoff said, smirking.

"Kristoff was amazing in there." Anna said, just realizing her poor choice of words. She mentally shrugged it off. "You should've seen him! He was all like-" Anna held onto Lena tightly with one arm, holding her close to her chest. Anna then swung her other arm, pretending she had a staff in her hand. "Wapow!" Anna exclaimed. Anna then proceeded to make many more ridiculous sound effects and arm movements.

While she was doing it, Kai looked at Kristoff.

"Did it seriously happen like that?" Kai asked Kristoff.

Kristoff nodded, blushing at how stupid he looked in the track. "More or less." Kristoff answered.

Anna's imitations fell short when Elsa asked Kai the million dollar question.

"Where were you?" Elsa asked, demanding immediate answers.

"Saving the day." Kai answered. "Same old, same old."

"Abandoning your fiance and friends is what you call saving the day?" Elsa asked, angrily. Then, she realized that him being absent was indeed same old, same old. She desperately wanted to freeze Kai's pants or kick him out of the castle for the night. There were very few things Kai could say to justify what he did. Luckily for Kai, however, his excuse was one of those few things.

"For your information, princess." Kai said.

"Queen." Elsa corrected once again. This was Kai's way of teasing her. Although she didn't look like it, Elsa was indeed a queen. A very young queen, but a queen nonetheless.

"I was too busy on the case." Kai said. "I interrogated Gerald while you were gone, but I tried to make the effort to make it to the game."

As Kai talked to Elsa, the others slipped away slyly, not desiring to be apart of this feud between Elsa and Kai. They hated it whenever they were in the middle of an argument between Kai and Elsa. Then, they would have to choose sides, and that was always hard and awkward. This happened a lot, however. Elsa and Kai were naturally polar opposites, meaning they were meant to not get along. However, they still managed. How, they did not know.

"Obviously the effort wasn't much." Elsa said. By that time, the others have left the two alone.

"Look," Kai said, "the traders knew that they were compromised before I even interrogated Gerald. It was only a matter of time before they moved their prisoners to another location. I had to get there as fast as I could and liberate as much as I could. And guess what happened? I did it! Those people are to be sent home, back to their families. So, now, I can rest easy!"

Kai said everything so fast that Elsa had to make an effort on following along. Kai had been practicing what to say earlier, and he hoped that the practice would birng him positive results.

Kai thought that Elsa was going to hit him when she took a step closer to him. Her angry expression then lessened and turned into an expression of pity. She leaned and kissed Kai on the cheek, much to his confusion.

Kai had no words to follow. "But, I-"

"You did what you had to do." Elsa said. "And you did the right thing." Elsa just realized how much of a jerk she was being to Kai. She knew that Kai couldn't be everywhere at once. He was powerful, but not godlike. Elsa realized just how hard Kai had it, and she even felt sorry for him. For Kai's job, physical abilities were a requirement. He needed to be able to do things that others could not top. Very commonly, Kai risked his life for people, prioritizing their safety above his. It was possible everyday that Elsa could lose Kai. She wondered why she even gave Kai the job in the first place.

"It's alright." Kai said, knowing how bad Elsa must've felt. "Just don't make everything about us. I'm not saying this to help me, I'm saying this to help _you_."

Elsa wanted to be offended, but how could she? She didn't even know what Kai really meant by that.

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"I mean, please don't make me the center of your world." Kai said. "You know me, and you know how easily bad things can happen to me. If I'm the center, and the center is gone, what left of the world is there for you? The last time you thought I was dead, well, it destroyed you. I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

Elsa started to understand and realize what Kai meant. She didn't like what he was saying. It was as if he wanted these bad things to happen to him. He shouldn't be Elsa's only light in a dark tunnel. She needed to make more lights for herself. If she lost the one light, which was Kai, then she would be lost in complete darkness with no direction. She couldn't let that happen to herself. Kai couldn't let that happen to Elsa. He cared too much for her to let that happen. He then realized his total hypocrisy. Elsa was Kai's center. He needed to learn how to make the others just as significant in his life.

"You're not my center." Elsa said, now knowing that Kai shouldn't be the one she could look to. "Anna is."

Kai smiled. "That's a better choice than me." Kai said. "She definitely has less of a chance dying everyday. And because of that, I'll do whatever I can to protect her and the others."

"Thank you..." Elsa said, staring at her feet.

Kai put his hand on her chin and lifted it up. "Chin up." He said. "And for what it's worth, I promise I'll be there for the next game."

"That's not worth much." Elsa pointed out.

"It's at least worth something." Kai defended.

"Yeah, but barely. It can almost be worth nothing." Elsa said. "I mean-"

"Okay," Kai said, "I get it. It's not true when you say it's almost worth nothing."

"What's _true_ and what _is _aren't always the same." Elsa said.

Kai was about to say something esle, but he took Elsa's words into account. She was completely right about that. It made Kai wonder why people fight to have the superior opinion, and even when they get it, it's not always right. That gave Kai a new perspective on life.

Kai smiled and put his arms on Elsa's shoulders. "Let's just forget about this for a day, okay?" Kai suggested. "This time tomorrow, we're getting married, or have you forgotten?"

Elsa returned the smile. "I thought I was going to have to remind you." Elsa said.

"How could I forget?" Kai asked.

Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh." Kai said. "Fair enough."

Elsa put down her eyebrow and smiled.

"But now," Kai said, "it's time for training."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Did anyone catch the AC reference I put in this chapter? I apologize that this chapter was released later! I've been too busy/lazy to write. From now on, I'll try to post as much as I can, but that may still be only once a week again. There originally was suppose to be an action scene in this chapter, but I wanted to get this chapter out to you guys as soon as possible, so unfortunately, the action will have to be moved to the next chapter. There originally wasn't going to be a QOTD this time, but something came up and that changed my mind. Ciao.

**QOTD: What did you think of the Avengers: Age of Ultron teaser trailer which was just released? **


	8. The Blizzard and the Inferno

**The Blizzard and the Inferno**

* * *

Elsa's training had begun.

Elsa and Kai stood outside the castle, in the empty courtyard which would usually be filled with guards on a defensive post. Under a few special occasions, however, they were to leave that post and do other productive things such as patrol other parts of the castle or make sure no one is causing trouble in the city. Most people knew better than to mess around in the city, though, because Kai's intimidation was more powerful than their needs to wreak havoc and cause trouble. Everyone knew that it would not be good for their health if they ever got on Kai's bad side. Many people knew how it felt to be on that side.

The occasion that cleared the courtyard was a weekly thing. Once a week, the guards were to exit the courtyard by order of Elsa, herself. It was so that Elsa and Kai could use it as their personal training ground where the couple fought each other with non-lethal weapons and under some conditions use their powers. Kai always did his best to not use his power against Elsa because, one, fire was to be used by Kai in offense, and two, because he didn't want to risk hurting Elsa. Elsa, unlike Kai, was not fire-proof and she could be hurt with fire just like anyone else would. Kai, however, had a sort of resistant to cold because he was always warm. To Elsa, that never seemed fair, but what could she do about it? Go to a magical fairy and request him or her to grant her a new ability. Elsa found it selfish of her to long for more powers like that. She knew that there were people out there without powers at all. A few billion people, in fact. Everyone besides her and Kai, in fact. As far as she was concerned, Kai and she were the only people alive to possess elemental abilities. If there were more, Elsa had not crossed paths with them.

Kai was okay with Elsa using her powers against him, as long as she didn't blast ice directly at his head or heart. That would cause serious trouble and damage. But, that would be nothing compared to what Kai could do with his own powers. Deren could thank Kai for what he did to his face.

Elsa wore the same ice armor she made the other day when they were taking down the traders. In that, no one could tell that she was a queen. She looked like a female warrior who would cut one's head off just as easily as she would kiss them. Beautiful but deadly. It's funny how the two often coincide with each other. Kai was wearing the same navy blue tailcoat which sort of became his usual attire. It was not at all civilian wear, nor did it look like the standard guard cloak. His clothes were fancy enough to show that he was of authority, but they were loose and made well enough for action. If someone saw Kai in that, they would instantly know that he was the type of guy to walk into a fancy party and fit in, only to say "Time to die!" when the time was right.

Kai did not have his sword on him. He reckoned that it would be easier to not hurt Elsa if his sword was not included in the battle. That didn't mean, however, that he was going to let Elsa win. He knew that her enemies, if she ever encountered anymore, would not show her the kindness of going easy in battle. Kai had never done that before in his life, and he considered himself a good guy. What he does to others was actually rather tame compared to what he could do at maximum power and without his morals. Most of the men Kai fought had no morals to hold them back. He always had to be careful with them, and he knew that Elsa had to do the same. He didn't necessarily want to turn her into what Kai was, a brutal fire wielding machine. He just wanted to teach her how to take care of herself with a sword when needed.

Elsa, on the other hand, wanted to know how to handle herself just like Kai. Blood would be dripped whenever Kai fought others. Elsa, so far, has never had any blood drop on her behalf. She did suspect that some things Kai was teaching her did not feel or look like something Kai would do. It all felt... refined, like he had a max limit on how well he could teach her. She knew better than to ask questions though. She knew that Kai knew what was best for her to be taught, and she was lucky to even have these lessons at all. Anna didn't know how to wield a blade at all. Elsa needed to be there to protect her sister if the time ever came. Sure, Anna had Kristoff, and sure, he was a brute and knew how to use a staff and pickaxe well, but his experience in battle was limited. The number of situations he was in were not very high. Elsa pondered why both Kristoff and Anna declined lessons from Kai. It must have been because of Lena. Surely, they didn't want to be violent people in front of their daughter. Elsa, however, was a different case.

Both Kai and Elsa held wooden sticks in their hand. The sticks were about the same size of an actual sword, but they were smooth and made a perfect circle at the top and bottom. There was a ring that went around the lower side of the sticks which signified where the handle was. The sticks were both as hard as a rock, but they weren't weapons which should be preferred in battle. They were quite pathetic compared to Kai's sword and some of Elsa's artificial ice weapons. They were, however, very useful tools for training. The best substitute for a training sword would be none other than the sticks. The weight and feel of the handle matched that of a sword.

The two stood on opposite ends of the courtyard; Kai stood a few feet in front of the gate and Elsa stood a few feet in front of the castle doors. Unbeknownst to them, Anna and Kristoff were watching the two stare down at each other from their room window. Anna and Kristoff never cared much to bother look at a training session, but this time, it was special. On very few occasions would Kai and Elsa spar with each other, and everyone wanted to know the outcome.

"Are you ready, princess?" Kai asked. He then spun his weapon, flawlessly.

"As I'll ever be." Elsa said, intimidated. She then attempted to spin her sword as well but it fell to the ground and rolled a few inches away from Elsa. Kai raised an eyebrow as Elsa reached down to get it.

"Sorry!" Elsa apologized.

"No," Kai said, "don't be sorry. When you die from being distracted because you couldn't spin a simple stick, then you can be sorry."

"Don't need to be a jerk about it." Elsa muttered.

"What was that?" Kai said, able to hear her voice but incapable of making out the words Elsa said.

"I said," Elsa repeated, "I'm sorry O great Kai. My ignorance to your teachings and my pathetic incapability to do a simple trick has greatly offended you and your being. I might as well commit seppuku now, where I stand."

From the inside of her room, Anna looked at Kristoff and asked "What's seppuku?"

"It's when a guy takes a sword and stabs himself in the abdomen and moves it around until he dies." Kristoff answered.

"That's horrible!" Anna said, trying to hold back some vomit. "Why would anyone want to do that?!"

Kristoff shrugged. "Apparently, it meant an honorable death."

"Honorable and painful." Anna added.

"Very." Kristoff added.

"Who invented this?" Anna asked.

"The Japanese." Kristoff answered.

Kristoff didn't remember where he had learned that term. Kai, however, knew where _he _got that term. When working with the Bandits, Kai had been taught many fighting styles and the culture from where those styles originated from. He picked up a thing or two about samurais. Kai's fighting style was a mixture of many fighting styles, including samurai. In battle, he was a strong as a samurai and as swift as a ninja. His mom had also taught him a thing or two about the Japanese culture when he was very young. She was, in fact, half Japanese because of her mother. It was Kai's mother who gave him the name Kai, meaning ocean or sea in Japanese. Kai didn't really shared this heritage to his friends because he didn't really care about it.

Kai knew for a fact that Elsa was just messing with him. She usually wasn't this sarcastic. He wondered where she got _that _from. Kai managed a small smile which Elsa couldn't see. I taught her well, Kai thought to himself.

"O Great Kai, huh?" Kai repeated after Elsa. "I like that... a lot."

"Well," Elsa said, "enjoy it, _sweetie._" Elsa said that with so much sarcasm that Kai's smile faded. "It's going to be the last time I call you that."

"How 'bout," Kai said, "if I win, you call me The Great Kai for the rest of our lives?" Kai said.

"Uh..." Elsa said. "How 'bout no? But if _I _win, you will stop calling me princess for the rest of our lives?"

Kai then spread his legs a few inches apart from where they were originally placed. He then spun his weapon over his head, the weapon making a _whish _sound when he did it. Kai then kept it in his right hand and pointed it so that the bottom tip was diagonally facing the ground. Elsa didn't even try to mimic what Kai just did. Although he was teaching her most of what he knew, his swordsmanship was far superior to Elsa's. Kai had many years of practice and experience that helped hone his skills. Elsa only had a few weeks and only used her skills in an actual battle once, and she mostly relied on her powers for that battle. All of this made Elsa wonder why she even bothered to go against Kai. She hoped that Kai would go easy on her.

"No thanks." Kai stated. "I'm good."

Elsa swung her weapon so that she was in the same weapon hold that Kai was in. However, their stances were very different. Elsa stood up straight and with dignity, as a queen should have. Kai, on the other hand, had his legs slightly crouch with his back bent forward. It was an all out offensive stance, one that Elsa knew would not fit her well.

After a second or two of staring each other down, and waiting for the other one to make a move, Elsa decided that it was best if she attacked first to practice a full-frontal attack on an enemy. She ran at Kai without haste, her feet moving as swiftly as a river. Kai raised his stick up and away from the ground so that it was facing diagonally a foot away from his torso. That was a counter position Kai knew how to use very well. He did not think Elsa could land a hit on him because of his precaution. But, unfortunately for Kai, Elsa studied Kai's moves and knew them well enough to predict what he was going to do next. When she was only a few yards away from Kai, she used her open hand and pointed to her feet as she ran. She then launched off the ground from a pillar of ice that shot upward from her feet. After she ceased contact with it, the pillar dispersed into tiny snowflakes which floated gracefully onto the ground.

Kai's eyes widened as he saw Elsa fall toward him with her sword above her head. He was too struck with awe that he barely had time to escape certain defeat. He took a step back as Elsa swung her stick downward, and instead of hitting Kai, it hit the stone ground as she landed on her feet. She shot her head upward to face Kai who was standing less than five feet away from her. She couldn't read his expression. Was it confusion? Was it surprise? She knew that it was only a matter of time before Kai struck back.

"Hey!" Kai said. "What happened to no powers?!" He exclaimed. He then swung his stick sideways, heading towards Elsa's left arm. Elsa skipped back as Kai swung his sword in a straight, horizontal line where Elsa used to be standing.

"Did we make that a rule?" Elsa asked, smirking.

Kai then looked down at his feet, trying to remember if they seriously made it a rule. He had less than a second to react to the sound of Elsa's weapon swing towards him. Kai grabbed the other end of the stick with his other hand and quickly moved it upwards so that it was vertical. Elsa's stick hit Kai's straight in the middle, in between both of his hands. He then jerked his stick to the direction Elsa's stick met his. Kai parried Elsa, forcing her body to move downward in the direction that Kai made Elsa's sword go. He was about to hit her with his weapon, but she was quicker than he was for once. He got out of her parried stance and swung at Kai who blocked the attack.

As Elsa took her stick away, Kai took his strike. This time, Kai swung it from above, diagonally towards Elsa. She quickly raised her weapon up and horizontally and put all of her strength to not let Kai's stick reach her. Kai's attack was blocked, but the force of it made Elsa take a step back. Then came the barrage of Kai's attack. It was nothing that Elsa had ever prepared for, but she knew the gist of what to do. One after another, Kai swung his stick at Elsa in different directions each time in order to get past Elsa's defense and hit her armor. He knew that if he did hit her, it wouldn't hurt, but in a real battle, it definitely would've since they both were pretty sure that most of their enemies would not use sticks, except for maybe those fools who used club. If she got hit once, she lost and training would be over. She would've disappointed Kai.

Elsa couldn't keep track on how many times she raised her arms to block Kai's attacks with her sticks. The constant sound of wood smacking against wood rang in her ears like it was the sound she was most accustomed to. A bead of sweat found its way from her forehead, to her nose, to her chin, and finally to the stone ground. That was how Elsa knew she was getting quote a work out. Her constant cool body temperature usually kept her from sweating like a normal human would sweat, however, when her physical limits were being pushed, only then would she sweat. When she did sweat, she would ironically find it unnatural and, in a way, disturbing. Kai noticed the sweat that found its way away from Elsa. He was pushing her like her enemies would push her. Good, he thought. She needed to be pushed.

As royalty, Elsa was usually never pushed. When she was pushed, she would do her best to not give in to what the others wanted. Anna had pushed her to build a snowman with her for more than a damn decade. Elsa never gave in to her requests. Elsa did things her own way. Elsa eventually did build a snowman, though. However, she built them herself. All of that after Anna made never-ending requests... That seemed like a mean thing for Elsa to do, and she hoped that Anna didn't realize that. The point was, though, that Elsa does things her own way and would not let someone push her until she fell.

Elsa and Kai soon found themselves in the middle of the courtyard after Kai and forced her forward. If he kept attacking her like that, they would reach the castle doors by no time. Elsa knew that when that happened, she would have been cornered and would have no where to run. She couldn't let that happen to herself.

Instead of blocking the next attack like she usually did, she took a step back and made Kai swing at an empty space. She then jabbed her weapon forward at Kai who also sidestepped it. The tip of the stick was only an inch away from Kai's gut. He then swung his stick so that it hit Elsa's out of the way and raised it upward. As Kai swung down, Elsa sidestepped to her right so that Kai hit nothing but the stone ground. Elsa took a step forward so that she was facing the left side of Kai's body. She swung her stick from her right and it was going straight for Kai's back. Kai moved his sword arm as if it was reaching to touch the back of his neck. His stick was then behind his body, facing downward and ready to intercept Elsa's strike. Sure enough, Elsa's attack failed and Kai swung his weapon back in front of him. Elsa was almost disarmed, and she would have been if it wasn't for some small ice that she quickly created in her palm to keep the stick from disconnecting from her hand. Words of wisdom: it's not cheating if you don't get caught.

Kai spun so that he was facing Elsa once again. Then, the two took turns striking at each other with their sticks, but it seemed to no avail. The other person always blocked it, no matter the direction of where it went. Kai kept a straight, calm face the entire clash, but Elsa had her teeth showing and her eyes pointed down with rage. Kai knew that it was only a matter of time before Elsa attacked him with everything she could muster. Kai knew rages like those before. It gave people the advantage of stronger and more quick strikes but at the cost of move efficiency and defense.

Kai had to admit that he was getting tired as it was. He had no idea what Elsa's rage attacks would look like, he had a feeling that it would be best for him to not find out. Kai slowly shifted his placement on the ground as he and Elsa fought. Elsa soon had her back facing the large gate of the outer castle walls that led to a stone bridge which connected to the city. Kai raised his stick diagonally on his right side and Elsa did the same on her right side as well, except from Kai's perspective, it looked like it was on the left side. The two then swung at the same time and the sticks met in the middle, in between the two. The clash was powerful enough to make both slide an inch or two back. The two kept their clash and looked at each other with eyes of determination for victory.

"At this rate," Kai taunted, "you can't beat me princess."

Elsa could hear the struggle in his voice. "It doesn't look like you're doing much better than me." Elsa countered.

From Elsa's hands, ice crept its way up the stick, soon completely covering it. That gave it a reinforcement in strength, a reinforcement that could determine the winner of their little battle. The ice soon moved over onto Kai's stick and moved quicker than it did on Elsa's stick. In order to not lose his weapon, Kai tightened his grip on his handle and flames shot upward onto the stick, melting the ice. Kai knew that it was only a matter of time before his stick burned away completely. Where the ice of Elsa's stick and the fire of Kai's stick met, smoke came out. Kai then kicked Elsa back, ending the clash. Elsa slid, on her feet, yards back until her heel touched the gate of the outer walls.

Kai's kick had more kick than he intended. Kai swung his stick downward and the flames extinguished immediately.

Elsa, however, was not done using her powers to her advantage. More layers of ice covered her stick and she could feel it become heavier. Around and under her feet grew a platform of ice and icicles shot out of the ground around her. She leaned forward, ready to launch herself at an incredible speed for a power attack on Kai. A miniature storm of snow and hail grew behind her, and the hail, instead of falling onto the ground, danced in a stormy vortex that Elsa unknowingly created behind her.

Kai saw how charged Elsa was, and he was not willing to let that be the end of the battle. Kai then swung his stick and fire engulfed it once again. Kai then closed his eyes and concentrated on being as fast as a fiery comet. When Kai opened his eyes, he saw Elsa sliding towards him on ice with her stick raised. Kai launched himself upward with fire as quick as a cheetah. Kai's body was soon engulfed in flames as he raised his sword at Elsa while he was falling down. He only then realized the harm he could have caused her there. But, she looked like there was nothing that could hurt her. Kai hoped so.

"Focus or be sent into the inferno!" Kai exclaimed.

"I'm going to have to make you cool down!" Elsa replied.

When Kai was close enough, he swung his fiery stick down at Elsa who met the stick her her icy weapon.

When the weapons hit each other, the dust and dirt on the ground around them came out of the ground and spread all over, making the two lost in a cloud of dust and dirt. Anna and Kristoff, who were watching them still, stood with their eyes widened and jaws dropped. They couldn't Kai nor Elsa. The dust completely covered them. After a second or two, the dust started to clear and the dark silhouette of someone was standing over that of another dark silhouette. Anna and Kristoff couldn't tell whether if the person standing was Kai or Elsa. But, after a few more seconds, it was revealed that it was none other than Kai who was standing, panting as he looked down at Elsa.

Elsa was laying on the ground, panting as much as Kai was. Her ice armor had completely melted into a pool of water than she was laying on. Instead, she wore the undergarments women usually wore under their dresses. Her face was covered in black ashes. Kai's weapon had completely burned away, and Elsa's weapon lay next to her, broken and shattered. Kai won, and that was for sure. Still, Kai looked like he just survived a war. His navy blue tailcoat was singed in many places. It looked like he just picked it off of the streets.

"Are you okay?" Kai asked Elsa.

"Yeah." She said, panting. "Fantastic. Never been better. You?"

Kai managed a weak chuckle. "I'm better than you, that's for sure. So, I'm stupendous."

Elsa's panting died down a little but in no way was it gone. "So..." She said. "It looks like you won."

"Oh," Kai said, "I couldn't realize that by the way you can barely move."

"Don't be sarcastic with me, Mr. Yeager." Elsa said.

"I thought you were supposed to call me The Great Kai." Kai pointed out.

"We never agreed on that." Elsa replied.

"Oh, like we never agreed on no powers?" Kai asked.

"Hey," Elsa said, "I gave you a home and a job. You owe me."

Kai shrugged. "I didn't need you to get this."

"Oh," Elsa said, "like there are queens out there willing to put up with and marry you."

"You know me." Kai said. "I have my ways with the ladies."

"Right..." Elsa said.

Kai then offered his hand to the downed Elsa. "Need some help?" Kai asked.

Elsa exhaled and smiled, knowing that the worst was over. She thought about the things she wanted to do after she got herself cleaned up. As queen, she actually had more free time than people thought she did. There weren't many perils in Arendelle which she had to deal with. Kai, however, almost had no free time whatsoever. His was a twenty four hour job, and those times where he was allowed rest, he took advantage of it. He did his best to manage his time so that he spared some of it to be with Elsa and the others. Still, that time spent was very short and Kai cherished every moment of it.

Elsa took Kai's hand and he helped her up. But, as quick as lightning, Kai pulled out his lucky dagger from his pants and put his hand over the back of Elsa's head. He then raised his armed weapon up and pulled her towards him. The flat side of Kai's blade rested on Elsa's throat. She tried her best not to make a sound as that would show weakness to Kai.

"Always remember," Kai said, "the battle is not over until you're sure you won or lost. Even then, do not think your enemy will show you mercy. Do not think they'll ever play fair."

"I won't." Elsa said, a smile on her face.

Kai heard the sound that was usually made when Elsa created an ice weapon from below. Kai looked down and found that Elsa was pointing an ice dagger at his gut, and with the jerk of the arm, she could have stabbed him and Kai would be history. He had taught her well. Kai was trying to teach her to not believe that her enemy will be helpful after a struggle. Now, she just taught him to not let his guard down even after victory. He was proud of Elsa, and she knew it. She waited for Kai to praise her or something of the sorts, but instead, he just took a step back from Elsa, his dagger no longer at her throat.

Kai gently nodded at her. "Good job, princess." Kai said.

"I learn from the best." Elsa said. She then successfully spun her dagger and it dissolved into snow while it spun.

"That, you do, Elsa. That, you do..." Kai said. He then looked up from the courtyard and at the window of Anna and Kristoff's room.

"How'd you guys like the show?" Kai asked them. Elsa looked up at the window in surprise. She had no idea that they were observing the fight. If it were up to her, Elsa wouldn't allow Anna to witness her battle skills. She didn't want to look at all violent in front of her sister.

Kristoff opened the large glass window and poked his head out. He looked down at Kai. "How did you know we were watching?" Kristoff asked.

"Magic." Kai answered.

Kristoff gave Kai an unamused look and raised his eyebrow. Kai sighed, facing the ground, and looked back up at Kristoff. "I saw you two up there even before Elsa and I started to spar."

"Well," Kristoff said, "seeing that climax of yours, I wouldn't call it a spar."

"It looked cool though." Kai said.

"That, my friend, is the truth."

Elsa took a step closer to Kai.

"You knew they were there the whole time and you didn't tell me?" Elsa asked, slight anger in her voice.

Kai shrugged. "I didn't see any harm in watching."

"It's okay, Elsa!" Kristoff said. "We looked away during the scary parts." He joked.

"Oh," Elsa said, sarcastically. "That makes me feel _so _much better, thank you!"

When she looked back at Kai, she found that he was already on his way to the castle. She looked up back at Kristoff and found that he was already gone and the window was closed. It was obvious that their discussion was over and settled. What could Elsa do about it? She decided to just accept what happened and to not hold a grudge on it. That wouldn't have benefited anyone, especially Elsa. She then jogged over to Kai who was a fair distance away from her already.

"Where are you going?" Elsa asked as she walked behind him.

"To get a new set of clothes." Kai answered. "Training is over, princess."

"Well," Elsa said, "what should I do, then?"

"I really can't believe you're asking me this question." Kai said. "You're the great queen of Arendelle. You figure it out." Then, Kai spun around to face Elsa who was forced to stop walking instantly. She almost fell back in surprise but Kai was able to grab her arm and help her keep her balance.

"But," Kai said, "you should prepare for the big day tomorrow... Right after you get that black stuff off of your face."

Elsa's eyes widened and she rubbed different places on her face with two fingers. "Where?" Elsa asked.

"Everywhere." Kai answered.

She then looked at her fingers to find the dark ash completely covering them. She decided that it would be best for her to freshen up before all else. She also felt like she should spend some more time with Anna. It had been a crazy week for everyone, and Elsa had not spent some quality time with Anna yet. Perhaps the two would have tea together? Walk together? As long as Anna was with her, Elsa would be content.

"What about you?" Elsa asked. "What're you going to do after you get changed?"

"I'm going to do what I do best." Kai said, turning around and walking towards the castle. Elsa, this time, did not follow.

"And that is?" Elsa asked, forced to raise her voice.

Kai then smirked and turned back towards Elsa. He thought about how awesome he was going to deliver his next line.

"Fight foes like a badass." Kai answered.

He expected Elsa to say something that would encourage or discourage him. Instead, she asked another question.

"Like a what?" Elsa asked.

Kai sighed. "Forget it."

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter was out a little earlier than I usually post chapters now... which is a good thing. Hope you guys liked it. It was longer than other chapters in this story. Please, write a review/comment for this chapter. Your feedback is always appreciated and is very helpful to me. Feedback tells me what I'm doing wrong and right. Also, I promise that the heroes will soon be introduced to the villains and their struggles will be epic. Please, stay tuned for the rest of the story. If I ever do something that you guys won't like in a future chapter, please don't be that person who quits reading just because of it. I promise, everything will work up to the end.

Ciao.

**QOTD: Who is the best and worst villain that I have used and why?**


	9. A Home Lost in Time

**A Home Lost in Time**

* * *

Mara saw no need to lie about her true intentions to Deren. His heart was just as black as hers, if not darker. Actually, it was impossible for anyone, not just Deren, to be more dark, more evil, or more vile than Mara was. She was pretty much the personification of darkness itself. Some may see her and think of her as the devil's spouse, and Mara wouldn't argue with whoever called her that. Instead, she would take it as a compliment and do horrible and painful things to them. It was kind of a hobby for her to cause misery and suffering to others. But, she couldn't help it. It was in her nature to do those things, and it wasn't like she could change herself. Even if she could change herself, however, she wouldn't do it. She loved herself so much. Sure, the current body she was using wasn't as great as her previous one, but it worked well nonetheless.

Mara told Deren everything he needed to know about her past. She told him about her old friends, the elementals. She told him about the power of her staff and the eternal shadow. She even told him about her fall and resurrection. He only gave half-an-ear when he was listening to her story. He didn't care much about any of the magical details. The thought of Kai's blood plagued his mind. As long as Kai got what was coming to him, Deren could care less about what would happen to the world… even if he was one of the idiots who lived in it.

Deren knew the limitation of his alliance with Mara. Once she had Kai's blood, and Deren had Kai's life, then their alliance would expire. Deren was promised safety if Mara was truly able to recreate the world in her own, dark image. Deren didn't care about safety. In fact, he loved the danger. Danger always got his blood pumped and his focus to increase. Living in a dark world might be exciting for him. There was no one in the world he actually had positive feelings for. All of that negativity thanks to years of being mistreated as a child. Deren knew that he would enjoy watching the world burn for what had the world done to him? The world, in the way Deren saw it, had to pay. He thought that the world could not mistreat him and get away with it. What Mara was doing was karma in Deren's favorite form: revenge.

It didn't take long or much at all for the duo to get to Arendelle. Mara had manipulation magic that helped them a great deal. Some minds were weak enough for her to just control, although temporarily. They got passage on a ship and were on their way to Arendelle in no time. But, they still had to bide their time. They were not yet ready to execute their plan and they still needed to work out some details on some things. First, they needed a base of operations to work in. Not many places in Arendelle offered that to two intimidating, powerful strangers.

Mara, however, knew exactly the place they needed to go. Only Mara knew that the land currently known as Arendelle was the most prominent location during the dark age of the past. The war was fought on Arendelle land. Blood was spilled on Arendelle soil. It all started there, so naturally, it would end there. Mara remembered one place in particular. A place she called home long ago with her old allies. That was where they decided to leave her on her own dark crusade. Mara was sure that it was vacant. The only four people were the elementals and Mara, and the elementals were all dead. Only Mara knew the location, and she knew that it would be best to keep it a secret to all but Deren.

The place was an old, hidden temple deep in the forest of Arendelle. From the outside, the temple just looked like a rock that was so rich with moss and other vegetation that it a lot like a hill.

The rock stood about fifteen feet high, with a smooth, grey surface showing. Deren and Mara stood in front of the rock. Deren stared at it with unamusement. His dark brown hair was long enough to reach his chin. A lot of it swept over his face, covering the left side of it - the scared side. His black clothes were as menacing as having a brawl with a lion. A lion would definitely be scared of Deren. Deren looked like the type of guy someone would want as backup for a fight, but not someone to invite to a party.

Mara wore her usual pitch black robes which looked impossible to run in. Her long staff was firmly in her hand. Without the staff, she would almost have no power. It was the only thing she had which could control the darkness she could create. She had no idea what would happen without it. She didn't want to find out, and she wasn't going to wait for it to happen if it will.

"Some temple." Deren said, staring at the giant rock. "It's as every bit as grand as you described it."

Mara glared at him. "Patience, boy." Mara ordered.

She then touched the side of the rock with the end of her staff. Deren, whose expectations were as low as can be, waited for a second for something - anything- to happen. Then, the rock startled to rumble and shake. Deren did not back away in fear as most people would have. Instead, he simply just raised an eyebrow to see if he was to be proven wrong. Sure enough, he was wrong. A rectangular piece of the rock, about seven feet tall, slowly separated from the rest of the rock and underground. Now, they could see a staircase inside the rock that led down into darkness.

Mara turned over to look at Deren and smirked.

"Sorry that you doubted me?" Mara asked.

Deren shrugged. "We'll see." He then descended into darkness.

The staircase did not go down long at all. It only took about ten seconds of walking on average to get into another large room. The temple was about two hundred meters wide and that same distance in length. The sides curved so that they made a circle. There were two layers of levels for the room. The upper layer was a platform that was overhanging on the sides of the walls. They stopped about halfway around the circle. The upper platform that went around was like a long balcony almost ten feet away from the walls. Chains hung from different spots on that layer as if the room used to be home to a few prisoners. Stone railings were on the edge of the platforms to prevent any accidents.

The stairs that led to the upper world was connected to the middle of the balcony floor. After that set of stairs ended, it was flat for about ten feet and then there was another set of stairs that led down to the bottom level The level was almost empty and all flat except for an stone table-like alter that was on the end of the room placed on the opposite end of the entrance. From above the alter, many feet high in the air, was a relatively large hole that went through to above ground. That was the only form of light in the room as everything else was pretty much dim. Cobwebs littered everywhere. It was pretty clear that this was the first time in, well, forever that someone had entered the room.

"Whoa." Deren said, his voice echoing throughout the temple. He then stepped off of the stairs that led above and onto the second level. He then rushed down the other large staircase which was about fifteen feet in width and ran down onto the bottom level. Mara had just entered the temple by that time. She took a glance around and compared it to how it looked the last time she was there. Nothing much had changed except for the fact that it was incredibly dusty and filled with webs.

"Welcome home." Mara whispered to herself.

She then walked down the stairs in manner that looked like she was cherishing every single step. She then walked up next to Deren who was spinning his head studying everything.

"We make this our home," Mara said," for now."

"So," Deren said, "when do we start?" He was too impatient to wait another minute. Victory was so close to him, and he could feel it. He could almost grasp it. They had no reason to bide their time any longer than they should. Deren let himself believe that every day that Kai was not dead meant that every day Kai could prepare himself for Deren. But, Kai did believe that Deren was dead, so that meant Deren had the element of surprise on his side.

Mara could see the blood-thirst in Deren's eyes. She knew exactly what he was thinking on doing. She couldn't let that happen, though. Deren had a bone to pick with Kai, but Mara wanted revenge on the ice user most of all. That meant Elsa was her primary target. In the past, the ice user, Eira, was most responsible in foiling Mara's plan although she had the help of the fire user, Kol, and the electric user, Draid. Mara wanted to make sure that Elsa suffer the most, and that meant using Kai. Mara would only let Deren have his way after she got hers, but her plan meant for both to suffer greatly.

"Tonight is our window." Mara stated. "That's when you'll go out there."

Deren nodded. "Remind me again what exactly we're doing."

"In order to get the eternal shadow to work," Mara said, "we'll need the blood of Kai and Elsa as well as our own."

"Yeah? And?"

"Elsa is no fighter, I'm sure." Mara said. "She won't be much of a problem. But Kai on the other hand..." Mara remembered the way in which Deren had described Kai. Mara knew that there was no way that she could beat Kai in a fight, and Deren had proven himself as an equal strength. But, with Kai and Elsa's power combined, they would easily take Deren. "Kai's a wildcard." Mara decided. "And wildcards are best manipulated."

"How can you manipulate him?" Deren asked.

"Never you mind." Mara said. "Just bring him to me in secret and I'll handle the rest."

"Lady," Deren said, "I'm only here to put Kai in a grave. Why should I give him to you when I can just kill him then and there?"

"You definitely could." Mara said. "But, I have a feeling that you would feel more complete if you continued on this path with me."

"How so?" Deren asked, intrigued.

"Elsa will suffer if you bring Kai to me." Mara listed.

"I have quarrel with the Snow Queen." Deren revealed. He truly didn't. It was only Kai he was after. He couldn't care less what happened to everyone else. They had personally had done Deren no wrong, so he did not need to take revenge on them specifically.

"In this eternal darkness," Mara said, "all will suffer."

That was what kept Deren interested in working with Mara. For those long years of his life, he had been treated differently as if he was a freak by almost everyone he knew. Kai was his only friend and Kai left, leaving Deren alone and helpless. All of this just because Deren was scarred. Deren didn't just hate Kai for scarring him. He hated Kai because he was forced to deal with all of these negative emotions alone. Deren's father was never there for him and he didn't even know his mother. How could Kai do this to Deren?

He believed that the majority of the world was just like those many people who looked down upon Deren. Because of that, he believed that everyone had to pay, no matter how severe the circumstances. He was willing to help bring the end of the world just to get back at a few people, and Deren realized that very well. He knew that was wrong but he did his best to not second guess himself. The path that he chose was already at a point of no return. He definitely could be the hero and stop Mara while her powers were limited, but no one would praise him for it. Not after everything that he has done.

"Fine." Deren said. "I'll stick with you as long as Kai suffers."

Mara smirked. "Oh," she said, "he will. You see, you and I both know that you can't take both Kai and Elsa in at once."

Deren nodded, accepting the truth that he was not that powerful.

"Elsa is easy, but Kai..." Mara said. "He's too resistant and better off-"

"Get to the point." Deren ordered.

"We definitely could use you to bring in Elsa, easy." Mara said. "But, I had a thought. What if the one to hurt her is the one she loves?"

"We use Kai to bring in Elsa." Deren cleared up.

"Exactly." Mara confirmed. "This is the best part: Kai won't know who she is to him, and when this is all over, he'll find out. By then, it'll be too late. He'll need to have the thought of him hurting his loved ones on his mind for the rest of his life."

"The short life I'll give him..." Deren whispered to himself.

"Elsa will be helpless to stop her beloved from hurting her and the others." Mara said. "We'll corrupt him, and she'll feel a pain that she never knew existed."

Deren really didn't care about that last part of the plan. Whether Elsa got hurt or not was not of importance to him. Sure, she froze his heart once a few years ago but that was nothing personal. It was nothing that Deren held a grudge against even if he did turn into ice. Although Kai revived him, the wound was already too deep. Kai letting Deren go free didn't heal anything at all as well. Kai tried his best to be a good person to Deren, but none of it made up for being the villain Deren thought Kai was.

"You really feel strongly about this, don't you?" Deren asked.

"I could ask the same to you." Mara replied. "It would seem that revenge is the only reason you still live."

"Maybe it is." Deren said. "Why does it matter to you?"

"I would lose a very valuable asset." Mara answered, coldly. She did not show any sign of caring for Deren's well being. She need his muscle, and nothing more, nothing less. They were partners, but not at all friends. They had nothing in common with each other except on how they view the world as imperfect. Mara would make it so that it will be perfect in her eyes.

"May I ask," Mara said, "after Kai is dealt with, what will become of you?"

"I try not to think or care about that." Deren said, not fully answering her question. "I'm getting my priority dealt with first, and I'll work out those details later when they're relevant."

"Ah. So you're a man with few ambitions."

"I'm a man with one ambition."

Deren realized how pathetic his life truly was. He had no reason to keep on going after he got Kai out of the picture. His only reason of living is to hurt and torment another person. It was no way to live a true life, but it was a way to survive. He would sometimes ponder if killing Kai could truly bring him peace and internal reckoned that he would have to continue the path he was on to find out whether it will be satisfying or not. Sure, Deren had dreams once. But, those dreams were made a very long time ago, and only an echo of them remain in Deren's head.

Mara, on the other hand, had so much ambitions. She wanted to create the world the way she wanted it to look. The eternal shadow would not take it's effect on people right away, and that's what Mara was counting on. There would be no sun for children to enjoy. No sunlight to grow foods. Soon, everyone would starve to death and die out, suffering in their last years. This was true beauty in Mara's eyes. Mara knew that people's true natures were revealed when threatened with death. Many people were cowards on the inside, willing to do whatever it took to save their own skin. Only a few people were brave under death's shadow, and those people died with dignity.

Mara knew that the people would try to fight back and stop all of this, but she had learned her mistakes from the first war. Only Ludicium, the great sword of light, could stop her and no one alive knew where it was. Mara liked her chances. Under an eternal shadow, Mara's powers were almost godlike. She could raise an army of creatures made from complete darkness - born from the negativity of everything alive. She called them Spawns, and soon, the Spawns will rise again.

That all would go, of course, assuming if everything went as planned. She needed to trust Deren to bring in Kai. She needed to trust herself to make Kai obey. She needed to trust Kai to bring in Elsa. Easy steps to follow. She hoped that Deren wasn't incompetent and failed his task.

Deren seemed to have the same thoughts as Mara because he brought up a question.

"What happens if it doesn't go as smoothly as planned?" Deren asked.

"Elaborate." Mara said, distantly.

"What if I can't bring him Kai?" Deren ased. "I'm not going to lie; Kai's skills are impressive."

"And yours are not?" Mara asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean it like that." Deren said.

Mara dismissed that last statement. "If you fight him and fail," Mara said, "then he'll get his suspicions. It'll make our job so much harder than it needs to be."

"I hate it when it's hard." Deren muttered.

"I as well." Mara agreed. "Failure is not an option."

"It never is..." Derek murmured, quietly. "Then, what about Princess Anna and Kristoff?"

"What about them?" Mara asked as of the two mentioned were like annoying puppies.

"Aren't you worried that they might get in the way?" Deren asked.

Mara scoffed. "Not one bit!" She said. She had not personally met any of the two, but she has heard of them. Mara had all of Lilith's memories, and Mara definitely remembered the names Anna and Kristoff being mentioned somewhere. None of the names held any significance to Lilith though, so why should they hold any significance to Lilith. They were merely ants who faded with the other non important ants. But, she had heard a thing or two about both people.

"Anna is just a foolish child who always gets what she wants in life." Mara said. "And Kristoff may very we'll be just as foolish except he has a very unhealthy obsession with reindeers."

Deren raised an eyebrow and gently nodded his head. He had, too, heard about Kristoff's relationship with a reindeer.

"They're no more of a threat to us than an ant is a threat to a lion." Mara said. "Ignore them if you can."

Deren understood. "But," Deren asked, "why me?"

"I beg your pardon?" Mara asked, not sure if she heard him right. It sounded like Deren was questioning her authority. It was suppose to b. very clear to Deren that Mara was the one in control, or has he forgotten.

Deren didn't mean it like that, though.

"I mean," Deren continued, "wouldn't it be quicker and easier if you just did this with me."

"My powers are still very limited." Mara said. "It'll take me a while for me to master the things I can do. Plus, it's best if I remain anonymous. My appearance would be both unsettling and peculiar to those who saw me. It's best if I stay in the shadows for now."

Deren was still unsure of it, but he didn't show it in his face nor did he question her any further. He realized that it would be best for him to just do what she says. She wouldn't have chosen him if she didn't think Deren could get the job done. That was part of the reason she chose him. She mainly needed easy access to his blood. Not only was she getting it, but she was getting his muscle as well. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

"Any more questions, Deren?" Mara asked.

Deren shook his head, knowing what parts both had to play.

"Good." Mara said. "Remember, you leave tonight. Do not fail me."

**To be continued in the next chapter...**

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, I do realize that this chapter was a tad boring, but it was a lot of essential villain exposition. There originally was going to be more for this chapter, but I realized that it would be too long, and I decided to just hold that extra stuff for the next chapter. Also, as a treat to you guys, there's a little bonus at the end of this chapter detailing the origins of a few characters. Review/Comment! Enjoy.

Bonus: The Origins of the Characters

When I first saw Frozen, I told myself that I hated it... mainly because that was normal for a boy. But then, after seeing the movies a few more times, I enjoyed it immensely up to the point where I was begging for a sequel. When I realized that the chances of there being a full length sequel to Frozen was very unlikely, I decided that it was best that if I kept the story alive for myself and you guys through fanfiction. That's why I started writing it.

The first thing I thought about when coming up for a plot for my first Frozen fic was who Elsa's love interest was going to be. I decided that another person with powers would be perfect. Choosing the power was easy; fire. I wanted a cool, short name for this protagonist. A name which was fairly uncommon. I remembered that Kai was a character in the original Snow Queen story, and that Kai was the name of a character from Lego Ninjago who wields fire. There, Kai was born. I also wanted to have Kai's appearance stand out from the appearance of many other protagonists. That's where I asked myself if he should have red eyes. There will probably never be a Disney protagonist with red eyes, so it seemed perfect for Kai. By making him a thug for most of his life, I made him stand apart from all of those goody-good protagonists.

Deren was a huge part of Kai's character. I kind of came up with the name Deren on the spot as I was writing the first chapter of Phoenix Fire. I didn't want to take too much time on his name. Also, I spelled it wrong! It's suppose to be spelled Darren, not Deren. It was too late to change it so Deren just stuck. I wanted Deren to be the anti-Kai, just as strong, but darker. His masked appearance when he was Strife was inspired by Vanitas from Kingdom Hearts.

King Lyre had nothing that special about him. A corrupt King was all I wanted him to be, although he was the main antagonist for Phoenix Fire for the most part. Travis Summers drew inspiration from none other than Hans. A deceptive person who seems sincere on the outside. Props to whomever saw Travis' betrayal coming.

Cade and Lilith... I wanted a character to be both deadly yet seductive, so Lilith was born. I drew inspiration from Marvel's Black Widow for Lilith. For Cade, I wanted someone who was too overwhelming for Kai. Someone who shows Kai that he can't win every battle. Cade was a product of that idea.

And Mara? She was pretty much a hardcore Maleficent. I even tried to mimic their appearances. Her ambitions, however, ware far more dark than Maleficent's.

There will be more OCs in this story, you can look forward to that.

Ciao.


	10. The Calm Before the Storm

**The Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Lena all sat together in the grand table in the great dining hall of Arendelle Castle. The large table was usually used for many dinner gatherings such as in dinner parties and other special occasions. Once in a while, Kai, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Sven, and Lena would sit around the table and eat their dinner together as one big happy family. But, those events were scarce as of that day because Kai had been working day and night, not allowing himself a moment of rest. He never showed any intentions to show up when he was working on taking down those traders.

Now, Elsa and Anna finally had time to enjoy each other's company, even if Olaf was messing around with Lena very close to them. Anna wore her casual green clothes with her long skirt that went down to her calves. Elsa wore a dress similar to the one she wore during her coronation but without the purple cape and blue instead of green. Elsa sat at the head of one end of the table, with Anna sitting to her right. Lena sat on Anna's right, and Lena was followed by Olaf. Lena had her full attention focused on Olaf who was making funny faces. Anna was relieved to finally have some time to relax – not having to deal with the burden of taking care of a child.

Olaf pinched Lena's nose and pulled his hand away.

"I got your nose!" Olaf said, playfully.

Lena giggled and reached her arms out at Olaf. Lena grabbed the thing closest to her; Olaf's nose. The baby yanked it away from Olaf. A popping sound was made when the carrot was taken from its home in the snow.

"Ah!" Olaf yelled. "My nose! My nose!"

Olaf tried desperately to try to get the carrot back, but it seemed to be Lena's favorite toy. Lena shook the carrot in her fist, hoping that it would do something spectacular. Lena expected it to make a sound, but the carrot produced none at all. Dissatisfied by its playfulness, Lena stuck the tip of the carrot into her mouth and started to bite it. Olaf screamed in horror. The entire time, Elsa and Anna watched the two interact with each other. Elsa had wide eyes with her mouth making a small O, and Anna was raising an eyebrow.

"Sweetheart," Anna said, "give Uncle Olaf the carrot back, please."

As expected, Lena didn't respond. Instead, she put the carrot deeper into her mouth so that it was over her boulder teeth. Olaf almost fainted when Lena chomped.

"Anna," Elsa said, "she's a baby. I highly doubt she'd understand a word you're saying."

"Right…" Anna realized.

Olaf finally grabbed onto the end of his carrot and pulled it out of the baby's mouth. By that time, it was way too late. The tip of the carrot was almost completely chewed off. It was wet with saliva and filled with teeth marks. The tip, about two inches long, was almost completely bitten off from the rest of the carrot. Only a small piece of carrot was keeping both parts together. It seemed, however, that that wasn't enough. The carrot tip broke off of the rest of the carrot and fell to the floor.

Olaf gasped in horror. Tears almost began to run down his head, from his eyes.

"Sorry Olaf." Anna apologized for Lena. "She's just baby - she doesn't know any better."

"I suppose..." Olaf said.

That was why they liked to keep Olaf around. As optimistic as Anna was, Olaf was usually even more so. Only under very few occasions did Olaf not look at the bright side of things. Olaf was the personification of joy and happiness. Not even Santa Claus was more jolly than Olaf was. They always needed to have someone like Olaf around so that he can be a light in the dark. Everyone shared this optimism to an extent which was not as high as Olaf's. Kai probably had the least optimism out of everyone. He doesn't look on the bright side of things, but he looks at things like how they are. He doesn't sugar-coat anything for himself. It was amazing how Olaf and Kai got along so well with each other.

"Olaf," Elsa said, "I think Kristoff may have extra carrots for you."

Instantly, Olaf jumped out of his seat, noseless, and ran out of the room in a hurry. He was eager to "repair" himself. Olaf's nose was important to him. Not only did it make him a complete snowman, but it was somehow a symbol of his friendship with Anna. She gave him the nose as a gift, and it was a gift which he could never repay.

Anna was too focused on Olaf that she failed to see that Lena was still playing with the carrot. Out of respect for Olaf, Anna knew that she couldn't let Lena defile Olaf's old body part. Anna gently took the carrot away from Lena and placed it far away from her on the table. Anna expected Lena to start crying which was exactly what happened. Wailing and tears came out of Lena rapidly. Anna tsked and picked up Lena.

"It's okay, Lena." Anna said. "Mommy's here."

Anna put Lena's head on her shoulder and gently rocked Lena, humming peacefully. Anna glanced at Elsa who was smiling with adoration. After a minute, Lena closed her eyes and began to sleep. Anna then kept holding Lena as she slept. Anna knew that Lena slept deeply. Almost nothing could wake her up when she slept. That was unusual for many people, but Lena was very special it seemed.

"Wow." Elsa said. "You're really getting a hang of this parenting stuff." She then took a sip of tea from her teacup that was placed directly in front of her on a little plate. The tea was somewhat hot. Elsa hoped that she wouldn't freeze the tea or make it cool when her lips touched it. That happened quite a lot when she didn't have full control over her powers. Luckily, she did now, and she sipped the tea with no worries.

"It only took a year for me to completely master it." Anna said, proud of herself.

"I'm sure Kristoff helped quite a lot." Elsa added.

"When he's not out obsessing over reindeer and collecting ice, yeah." Anna countered.

"Some people have jobs, Anna." Elsa said.

"I'm pretty sure collecting ice isn't as hard as being a parent." Anna said.

"I wouldn't know..." Elsa said, then taking a sip of her tea. "Hey, ice is rare out here." Elsa joked.

Elsa was kind enough to not create artificial ice just so Kristoff could have a job. Elsa offered to let him retire, but he apparently enjoyed being out there in the ice, mining it with Sven.

Elsa looked at how peacefully Lena slept in Anna's arms.

"They would be proud." Elsa said.

"Who?" Anna said, asking for clarification.

"Mom and dad." Elsa said.

"Oh." Anna said.

The subject of the old king and queen was a touchy one. Anna was forced to deal with their deaths alone as Elsa was still keeping her distance. It had not at all been easy on either of them. One moment, they were saying goodbye to their parents, the next, they found out that they were dead. It wasn't the happiest time in their lives. They did their best to not talk about the two, but that was inevitable. One way or another, the topic would come up and it would become awkward for everybody. What they wouldn't give to have their parents back. They failed to cherish their time with them, and the sisters regretted it. The best thing for the two to do was to protect the legacy their parents had built.

"Do you ever think about them?" Anna asked.

Elsa took a sip of her tea. It felt colder than usual. "Sometimes." Elsa answered.

"I..." Anna managed to hold back a tear. "I wish they were still here."

"We all do." Elsa said.

"Shame." Anna said. "They didn't even get to meet Kristoff or Kai."

"Uh..." Elsa said. "I'm not sure if they would feel positive about you with a guy raised by rocks and has a strange liking for reindeer."

Anna managed to giggle. "Oh," she said, "like they wouldn't have a problem with a sarcastic guy who tends to shoot first and ask questions later?"

"Hey," Elsa said, "I never said they would approve of Kai."

Elsa spoke the truth. The old king probably wouldn't have loved the idea of his daughter being married to a man who was a thief for most of his life and who tended to burn a lot of things. But, the king wasn't there to say no. That was both a good and bad thing for Elsa. Good because he couldn't tell Kai to stay away from his daughter and bad because he wasn't there.

Elsa sometimes wondered what it would've been life to be a normal child. She was never offered that luxury because of her powers. Sure, she was a princess, meaning she had it all. But, she had no one to enjoy life with for many years. She was only ever close to Anna for a short few years, and her parents were too busy focusing on helping Elsa with her powers than to actually treat her like a normal daughter. Elsa used to be someone with everything, but nothing too. The past few years gave her a great change in life. She considered them to be some of the best in her life, although she faced many predicaments such as the kidnapping of Anna and the threat of war with the Southern Isles. Other than that, it was smooth sails.

Anna, on the other hand, had luxuries that Elsa didn't have. Anna was not confined to her room all the time and she explored a lot, enjoying her own company. Anna didn't have many friends growing up, but that didn't stop her from enjoying life. Anna was always so energetic and cheerful, while Elsa was so stationary. The two seemed to be opposites to each other, but they were sisters and best friends.

"Pity," Elsa said, "they never even met their own granddaughter." She chin pointed to Lena who was still peacefully fast asleep in Anna's arms.

"Do you think they would've been proud?" Anna asked.

"I _know _they would've been proud." Elsa answered. "They always were."

Anna smiled and tilted her head at Elsa. She was happy to know that her parents loved her when they died. She couldn't bear it if their relationship ended on sour terms. For Elsa, she saw her father as more of a mentor. Anna didn't know the exact details of the relationship between her sister and her parents, but she didn't want to reopen old wounds, so she found it best to stay silent. Anna figured that to keep both girls from shedding any tears, the topic wold have to be changed. Something easier to talk about would've been preferable.

"So," Anna said, "where's Kai?"

Elsa closed her eyes and took a sip.

Uh oh, Anna thought. She wasn't sure if she made the right choice changing the topic from their deceased parents to Elsa's fiance who has commitment issues.

"Three." Elsa said, counting down. "Two. One."

The entrance to the dining hall slammed open. Anna turned her head towards it to find a middle age man running wearing torn clothes and carrying a sack. Anna had a hard time determining what the sack contained, but she figured it out when she saw some glittering jewelry jumping out of the sack as it bounced behind the man. His face was beading with sweat. His clothes were steaming as if they had just been burnt. He had a scared look on his face like he was running from a monster. He ran through the dining hall, next to the large table. He passed Elsa and Anna, completely ignoring them. Elsa paid him no attention, but Anna was still dumbfounded as to what was going on.

When the man reached the door on the opposite side of the room from where he entered, Kai came rushing into the other door. Kai had a fresh new set of clothes, completely identical to the one he ruined a few hours earlier.

"Come back with that, thief!" Kai exclaimed.

The burglar shrieked and quickly pulled the door open as Kai ran through the dining hall after him. The burglar managed to run out the door when Kai had just reached Elsa and Anna. Kai put his hands on his knees and bent down, trying to catch his breath.

"Hi." Kai said to the girls. He then roughly grabbed Elsa's tea and drank the rest of it in one gulp. Some tea trickled down the corner of his mouth. Kai wiped it off with his sleeve and put the cup back onto Elsa's plate.

"Thanks." He said. Kai then sprinted off, after the burglar and out of the door.

Anna was still awestruck. She turned to Elsa. "How- how did you-"

"Whenever Kai chases a few criminals through the city," Elsa said, "he tends to accidentally chase them into the castle. This happens every other day."

"But," Anna asked, "how did you know they would come in here in the count of three?"

Elsa shrugged. "Lucky guess. Like I said, it happens often."

"Well," Anna said, "how come I've never seen this?"

"Wrong place wrong time." Elsa answered. "But, now you've seen it. Ta da!"

"You best get used to it then." Anna said.

"I already am." Elsa replied. "I've been used to it for a while now. Seeing how I'm getting married to the man tomorrow, I figured it was time to build some habits."

How could Anna forget? The grand wedding was tomorrow. No way in the world was she going to miss it. Elsa was there for Anna's wedding, and now it was Anna's time to return the favor. He hoped that everything would go perfectly before, during, and after the wedding. Everything was to be set up early in the morning the next day. Kai and Elsa also decided that it would bring good luck to their marriage if the two refrained from seeing each other before the ceremony that day. That was one way Anna and Elsa's weddings are different. Also, Kristoff volunteered to walk Elsa down the isle to which she gladly accepted seeing as how her father was not there.

"I hope it'll work out fine." Anna said.

Elsa took one more sip of her tea and whispered to herself "Me too."

* * *

That night, Elsa and Kai slept together in the same bed in Elsa's room. They figured that they wanted to make the last night of their engagement special. But, Kai was too exhausted when he entered the room. He instantly crashed into the bed, face first, and drifted off into sleep right after he changed into his sleepwear. Elsa was right next to him when it happened. She face palmed, upset that she and Kai would not be able to spend some quality time together. This wasn't the first time that this happened to Kai. It actually happened fairly often. He took his job too seriously, and sometimes Elsa regretted even giving it to him. She knew Arendelle needed a protector, though, and Kai was most fit for the job.

That night was a full moon which beautifully illuminated the entire city. No one was out and about. It all rather seemed fairly quite. As usual, no guards were on lookout both on the interior and exterior of the castle. They had all retired to their homes for the night, resting themselves for the next day. They needed to be extra alert on the wedding day. When there's weddings, there's a lot of people, and when there's a lot of people, there are a lot of problems.

Speaking of problems, those were usually scarce during night in Arendelle. Kai made sure to strike enough fear in the heart of criminals so they would be scared to commit crimes in both day and night. In order to do that, he had to stay up during night for about a month. That was not a very fun time for Kai at all... Just like his dreams. No, not dreams. Nightmares.

Kai found himself standing in the middle of the top layer of Elsa's old ice palace which was destroyed almost two years ago. He was wearing his navy blue hooded tailcoat as usual, but no weapons were strapped to his waist. Kai turned his head and found Cade was standing at the edge of the icy balcony connected to the room. The railings were completely destroyed. Cade had a blank expression on his face as if he was in some sort of trance.

"Cade?" Kai asked, trying to see if he was thinking straight.

Cade then slowly raised his right index finger at Kai. Kai took a step back, as if expected Cade to shoot a projectile at him. But, Cade did no such thing.

"It's all your fault." Cade said to Kai.

Cade then extened his arms and fell back, off of the balcony.

"No!" Kai yelled. By "no", he didn't mean to defy what Cade had just done. He meant it to deny Cade's claim that it was his fault. Kai knew better, though. He truly believed that he had caused Cade's death. Not a day went by that Kai did not think about what happened. It haunted him. It poisoned him.

Kai ran to the balcony and looked over the edge to see if Cade was still visible. But, Cade had completely disappeared. No way enough time ran by that Cade could completely disappear out of sight. Kai turned back to find Cade standing where Kai used to be standing. This time, an angered look was on Cade's face.

"You killed me!" Cade yelled, his words echoing in Kai's mind.

"No!" Kai said. He didn't directly kill Cade, but he might as well have.

Kai shot a blast of fire at Cade, but before it could even touch Cade, Cade transformed. His body glowed white and until he was just a white silhouette. The figure then grew shorter, more slender, and the hair grew longer. When the white cleared, Elsa stood in Cade's place. It was too late to stop the fire. The fire blasted Elsa straight in the chest. Instead of being knocked back, the fire consumed her body. She let out an agonizing scream which was as painful to hear as it was to watch her burn.

"Elsa!" Kai exclaimed. He then ran to her in hoped of helping her. But, when Kai grabbed her shoulders, Elsa crumbled and dissolved into a pile of black ash in front of Kai's feet. It was still burning.

Kai began to weep. It wasn't like him to cry, but he did it there. He couldn't believe what he had just done to Elsa, accident or not, he felt responsible. Then, rough rams grabbed Kai's shoulders and pulled him back from the ash. He was then pulled up in a manner that made it obvious that whoever was doing it to him did not care about his well being. Kai turned his head to find that it was Deren who had just picked him up.

"Deren?" Kai asked.

Then, materializing behind Kai's old friend, was Cade. He was formed from complete shadows and black. Deren took his hands off of Kai's shoulder and grabbed his left arm and held it tightly. Cade did the same with his right arm. Kai struggled to get out of the hold, but in no way was he strong enough to beat the might of his two old enemies. Two people he had wronged were now getting their revenge. Kai was about to order them to let him go, but something from shadows materialized right in front of Kai.

Kai's eyes widened when he saw who it was. It was... Kai. This second Kai, however, had green eyes instead of red. He featured a maniacal grin.

"Who- who are you?" Kai asked the doppelganger.

The green-eyed Kai raised his hand and a sword materialized in it.

"Your darkness." The second Kai answered. He then proceeded to stab Kai through the chest with the sword.

That was enough to end the dream for Kai. Kai let out a quick scream, not loud enough for anyone outside the room to hear, but loud enough to wake Elsa. Kai found that he was sweating throughout. He only wore his sleeping pants and had no shirt on. He looked down at his torso and found it completely unharmed despite a few small scars. He was panting wildly like he had just ran a few miles nonstop.

Elsa groaned and turned her body so that she was facing Kai, who was sitting upright. She wore a purple nightgown to sleep that particular night. She wiped her eyes and sat up next to Kai.

"Hey." She said. "Something wrong?"

"No." Kai answered quickly. "Everything's fine." He took a second to process what had happened in his nightmare.

"You know," Elsa said, "by the way you're sweating like a pig and let out that yell, it's pretty obvious you're lying." She knew how to read people well. It wouldn't take an expert to know that Kai wasn't telling the truth.

"I just had a bad dream." Kai said. "Nothing to worry about."

"Kai," Elsa said, "you've had bad dreams before. I've never seen you wake up like this."

"Well," Kai said, "I guess this one was just a little worst."

"A little?" Elsa asked.

"Let's not get into details, okay?" Kai pleaded.

Elsa put her hand on Kai's chin and moved his head towards her. She gave him a serious look like she wanted something from him.

"Is everything alright?" Elsa asked.

Kai sighed. He saw no need to avoid talking to her or even lie to her. She was going to be his wife, and he needed to trust her with many things. This may be one of the times his faith in her would be tested. So, Kai decided to share some things with her.

"No," Kai answered, "everything is not alright."

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked with a concerned look.

"Everywhere I go," Kai continued, "I see Cade."

"Cade's dead." Elsa said.

"I know!" Kai said. He must have sounded like he was going crazy. "It's like an echo. He just sticks around, repeating something. I'm always looking at him, and thinking about how it was my fault that he died. It's a failure that I have to live with. I wish I could live without it."

"Kai-"

"Also," Kai interrupted, "I work myself to protect the one thing I _can't _live without. That's you, Elsa."

Elsa stared at him with sorrowful eyes like she pitied him. So far, she had been a good listener. She had no idea how she was going to help him with all of this pressure, though. She just waited patiently for Kai to finish speaking.

"Elsa," Kai continued, "I can't sleep. I can't sleep a full night at least. I always wake up with a nightmare repeating itself in my head. I can't remember the last time I've had a good nights rest."

"Kai," Elsa said, "you don't need to deal with this alone. We can help you. Me, Anna, Kristoff, even Olaf are here for you."

"Oh, believe me, I know." Kai rebutted. "You have no idea how many times I've heard that from everyone. Sure, I'm a man with everything! So why can't I sleep."

Elsa was at a lost for words. She truly felt sorrow for Kai, really, she did. She wanted to show him how much support he really has, but she had a feeling that it would do no one any good. Their support wasn't something that could kill the thing haunting Kai. For that, Kai needed to do it on his own. He needed to find his own way to deal with it.

"Okay..." Elsa said, not wanting to argue with Kai any longer. "Do you need anything?"

"Yeah..." Kai answered. "I... I need a drink." With that, he got up and got changed into his standard clothes.

"See you tomorrow." Kai said to Elsa as he opened the door and left Elsa alone in her room.

* * *

Kai sat on the roof of the castle, looking at the moon shining down on him. In his hand was a wine bottle which was almost empty. Kai knew that what he was doing was dangerous, but he was too preoccupied wrapping himself around his own thoughts than to care about his well being. He almost forgot that his wedding was tomorrow. At that moment, he was enjoying his bottle of wine.

Kai tried to sip the wine only to find that it was empty. His fist clenched around the bottle. The one thing that was keeping him happy at the moment was gone. Kai wasn't drunk, though. It usually took way more than one wine bottle to make him feel a little woozy. But, he was still angry with the bottle. Kai threw the bottle down at the courtyard and lay on his back. The rooftop was slanted, so he was able to lay diagonally.

Kai failed to notice that there was no sound of glass breaking from the bottle. Kai was about to close his eyes and try to get some rest when a light flashed below him. This light, however, was very strange. It was blue like electricity. Kai sat up and looked down at the courtyard below him. He found that there was nothing that was producing any blue light. Kai thought that it was just his eye playing tricks on him. But, before Kai could look away from the courtyard, a blue ball of electric light was thrown from the other side of the gate that connected to the stone bridge. The ball landed inside the courtyard and popped. Electricity danced around the small area where the blue ball had landed for about to seconds.

"What the hell?" Kai asked himself.

Kai descended to investigate.

**To be continued in the next chapter...**

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Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took a while to come out. I was kind of busy with other things. The next chapter will be more excited, I promise. Most of you will probably already guess what's going to happen. By the looks of it, this fic will probably be done within February or March of 2015. Then, my Percy Jackson fic will be released in April or May. Ciao.

**QOTD: ****Which song would be a good theme for Kai in Phoenix Fire? **

For me, the song "What I've Done" from Linkin Park fits well for this question. The song is pretty much about wanting to erase one's past and start anew because of what they've done. This applies to Kai because he regrets what he had done during his time as a Bandit and seeks a new life.


	11. Ghost - Part I

Author's Note: Hi guys! I've decided to not praise the winner of the QOTD anymore because I'm just too lazy and I forget a lot. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Ghost - Part I**

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Kai landed inside the courtyard with a thud. It was so silent that he could hear a pin drop. For a moment, he looked up at the large gates to see if another small volley of electric balls would come at him in the courtyard. Surprisingly, none came at all. That made Kai even more curious as to what in the world it was. He has never before seen something so bizarre like that. He started to question himself whether there was actual balls of lightning or if it was all a part of his imagination. If that was the case, Kai wouldn't be surprised that it was. He had been seeing things - things that aren't necessarily normal to see. He tried his best to keep himself from going crazy.

Kai wanted nothing more than to just walk back and take his place besides Elsa on her bed. But, he knew himself better than that. He knew that it was unlike him to just walk away from a mystery or a fight. Kai always felt a sense of accomplishment after he got to the bottom of things. This was probably the most odd thing he has seen in a while, and Kai has seen crazy things. Crazy was a good word to describe and summarize Kai's entire life so far. He has seen it all from small and giant talking snowmen to an artificial winter caused by an ancient artifact back in his home country, Teranhall. Now that he thought about it, he realized that most of these unnatural things involved snow. Courtesy from Elsa, no doubt.

Before Kai took a step closer to the gate, he turned his head in a full three hundred and sixty degrees to see if there was anyone else in the courtyard. The courtyard was huge with two fountains sitting parallel to each other. The entrance to the castle was right behind him. Kai found no one there but him. Not a single window was cracked open in the castle. Of course, not many people would've occupied the castle. The only residents included Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven (who was fast asleep in the stables), Olaf, Kai, and a handful of servants. Many servants left to their own homes during nightfall. Other than that, there should not be anyone else inside the castle. No one was watching Kai. He wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing.

His sword and dagger were strapped to his waist. He hated being apart from his weapons. They were as useful to him as his hands were. They also were very special to him. Kai's dagger was his oldest and most fond weapon. Kai's sword was given to him by Elsa, and it's original owner was her late father. The sword was definitely a stronger sword than most of the blades Kai used. The way it was crafted was careful. It was made for royalty. Kai was no royalty, not yet anyway, yet he had a feeling that he wielded it more than any other person would with a royal sword.

Kai approached the door with haste, but he made sure to walk carefully. He had a feeling he may not like what he was going to see on the other side. He didn't want to alarm anyone by waking anyone up. But, he was sure that that would not happen. Sound would not go through the walls well. People inside the castle would be deaf to Kai. If anything went wrong, he was on his own.

Kai pressed his ear against the gate to see if he could hear anything from the other side. Yet again, it felt like he could a pin drop. It was incredibly quite. It was almost eerily quite. He had a mind to just turn around and walk back to the castle or perhaps even back to the roof where he could be at peace, wrapped up in his own thoughts. But, Kai had enough experience to know that basing things off of sound alone was unreliable. As a Bandit, he used this tactic many times to commit quick and easy steals from others. Kai then unlocked the gates and gently push the door on the left side open. He readied himself for a scare, as it was too much of a perfect opportunity for one.

He looked out at the stone bridge and found that no one stood at the other side of he gate. The plaza, which was usually buzzing with people, was empty as well. The candles were turned off inside the homes of the citizens. A pin could be heard throughout the entire city. Heck, even the entire countryside. There was no one awake for miles. Kai squinted to make sure that he wasn't missing out on any details, but even that didn't make things better. He was alone. The electric balls must have been a trick his eyes and mind were playing with him.

"I must be going crazy." Kai told himself.

But, before Kai could turn around, he felt a force on his back. He instantly knew that someone's foot has just kicked him around the center of his back. This kick was oddly powerful. Kai flew back from the gates and onto the bridge, landing face first somewhere around the middle. He felt a pain on his head. Although he couldn't see, he could feel it. He could see small drops of blood fall off from the bridge of his nose and onto the stone. He had a nasty cut on the bridge of his nose and his forehead was bruised. All of that was just from one kick. Other than that, there seemed to nose be any other damage done.

Kai slammed his fist on the ground hard and some pebbles vibrated under his arm. He then pushed himself up with both hands quickly. The blood that was on the stone smeared on his had, therefore removing the evidence of his bleeding from the stone.

Kai groaned weakly. Oh, now he was angry. He couldn't believe anyone would dare sneak up on him and attack him like that. It was obvious that whoever it was was looking for a fight, and if it was a fight they wanted, then Kai was glad to deliver. Only two people in history have ever given Kai any trouble in battle, and those two people, as far as Kai knew, were dead because of their own ambitions.

Whoever this mysterious assailant was, though, it was obvious that they were physically powerful. It would take a lot of strength and force to kick Kai as far as the assailant did. Kai had a feeling that he was dealing with someone of brute strength. Kai, for one, did not have outstanding physical strength. Sure, he was stronger than the average man with a better body build too, but he did not match Kristoff in strength. Kai rellied on his skill, speed, and powers during battle.

He reckoned that the person was using the electric balls to lure and distract Kai while he or she snuck around for the first blow. Kai had to admit, it was a very clever plan.

"Alright, asshole," Kai said, "you want to play?"

Kai pushed himself up and off of the ground. He then wiped the dirt off of his navy blue coat and brown pants by patting them with his hands. He wanted to make a good impression on whoever it was that wanted a beating from him. Kai turned around to face his assailant. The shadow of the castle's outer walls concealed most of his body. In the moonlight, only his leg was visible. Kai automatically knew it was a male because of the look of the leg. He wore brown boots that went up about halfway on his calves. His pants were beige, and Kai could see that he was wearing a tailcoat though he could barely make it out. The tailcoat was black, matching the shadows. His face was completely concealed in the darkness.

"Hello, old friend." The man said. Kai recognized the voice although it seemed like forever since he had heard it.

Kai's curiosity was winning him over. He needed to know who the person was at that instant.

"Step into the light." Kai ordered the man.

The stranger obliged. He took two steps forward, standing on the bridge, in the moonlight. Kai's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it at all. It's been nearly two years since he had seen the face of his enemy. The right side of his face still had the same scars and healed blisters. His brown hair seemed to be a bit longer than it was last time Kai saw it. But, there was no mistaking the murderous look in his electric blue eyes. He had his hand resting over a black handled sword strapped to his waist.

"Deren..." Kai said, taking a step back in disbelief.

"Surprise." Deren said, without enthusiasm.

Kai recalled the last encounter he had with Deren on Arendelle's head ship, The Royal III. After Kai was shot in the shoulder by Deren, Deren was struck by lightning and fell off of the crow's nest of the ship. Kai was also pretty sure the sea consumed Deren's body in the storm. There was no possible way he could have survived all of that. Yet, here he was, facing Kai once again.

"But you-" Kai said.

"Died?" Deren suggested.

"I saw you get hit by lightning." Kai continued. "The fall! The sea!"

Deren closed his eyes and shrugged. "Looks like you're not the only one that's not hard to kill."

Kai wanted all of this to be fake. No way was this real. But, if it wasn't, how did Kai get kicked all the way to the middle to the bridge. There was no one else there besides Deren. Was it possible that Kai propelled himself that far? He feared that insanity would take hold of him quicker than he thought it would. But, first, instead of worrying about that, Kai needed to get rid of Deren. It's just an illusion, Kai told himself, a trick of the mind. He then took a step closer to Deren and stood there, confidently.

"You can't be real." Kai said. "It's impossible."

"Oh," Deren chuckled, "like you've never done the impossible?" Deren then raised his arm at Kai and shot a blast of blue, hot lightning at Kai. Kai, of course, was completely oblivious to Deren's new abilities prior to this encounter. Kai had no time to react. He widened his eyes in surprise instead. That was a horrible move. A waste of a move. The blast hit Kai in the chest, sending him flying back to the end of the bridge on the opposite side of the castle. Pain erupted in his chest. Both on his skin and within. Instead of dispersing, like Kai's fire did when it hit someone, it was as if the lighting crawled threw his skin and had a party inside his chest. The clothes around where the lightning hit were blackened and steamed. Kai feared that he was immobile, but he was able to get up and get his bearings together. The pain soon subsided, but Kai never forgot the feeling.

Kai wondered how in the world Deren could do that. Never before has Deren used such abilities. Kai wasn't even sure it was possible to get powers without being born with them.

"How...?!" Kai asked. He was at a lost for words. "How did you-"

"You and Elsa are not the only one with special powers, either." Deren added. "You think you're a force to be reckoned with? You have no idea who and what's out there, do you?"

"Why?" Kai asked. "Who're you talking about?"

"I think it's better I say no more about it." Deren said. "The less you know, the better."

"Wow, Deren." Kai said. "I wouldn't take you as someone who follows orders."

Deren's fingers clenched around the handle of his sword. He wanted so badly to strike Kai down where he stood. Sure, it would take a few sword clashes, but Deren had the conviction to kill Kai. He would not be refined in battle. Kai, on the other hand, had a moral code he followed. He would strike at Deren, but he would be too careful to not make any fatal blows. Kai was afraid to stab someone deep, but as long as it wouldn't kill them, he would sleep well at night.

"Why are you here?" Kai asked Deren, demanding an answer. Kai was completely over the whole "Deren's back!" phase. Now, he just wanted to get answers. It didn't take long for Kai to process the fact that his old friend and current enemy was still alive and breathing. The only thing Kai had trouble dealing with was that Deren had powers which Kai had never known of.

"I'm here to settle a score." Deren told Kai.

Deren then held out his own palm in front of him and extended his fingers. A blue ball of electricity materialized in his hand. Deren tossed it in the air and caught it like it was a toy. He then squeezed the ball in his hand and clenched his fist. The ball seeped in between his fingers and then dispersed in his hand. Electricity danced and swirled around his closed fist. Kai had a feeling that he did not want to be punched with that hand. Deren then re-extended his palm and the ball reformed in it. In his other hand, he created a similar ball of lightning. Deren slowly pressed his hands together, squeezing the two balls. He then stretched his hands and arms apart. A stream of electricity was in between both of his hands. Deren then shook his hands and the lightning disappeared.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Deren asked. Kai replied with nothing. He was just thinking about how much of a show-off Deren was being. Deren continued to talk since Kai had no comment on his amazing abilities. "I've been practicing, you know?" Deren said. "For almost two years, ever since you left me for dead."

"You weren't breathing." Kai said. "You had no pulse. We didn't have time to drag you onto the rowboat. I had no idea that-"

"That I was still alive?!" Deren asked, angrily. "That I would become this?!" Deren extended his arms and streams of electricity shot from out of his open palms. They disappeared into the dark night sky. He then steadied his breathing and continue to glare at Kai.

"Deren," Kai said, "you tried to kill me twice. Three times if you count what you did to me about a minute ago. Did you honestly expect me to help you after all the pain you put me through?"

Deren raised an eyebrow and shifted his weight on one leg. He then slightly nodded. "Well... yeah." Deren said.

Kai sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He felt a sting and forgot that he had a cut there. "The point is you've been a pain to me more than you've been a saint. So don't shift the blame onto me for everything that's happened. You've only yourself to blame."

Deren let out his anger in the next attack he did. He quickly swiped his arm in front of him quickly. A well sized blast of lightning shot toward Kai about the size of a melon. This time, Kai was expected it. He provoked Deren, and he knew Deren was not one to let that go unpunished. Kai knew that if that blast hit him in the right place, it may be a fatal blow. He wasn't going to let that happen. There were still people to protect and people to fight.

Kai shot a similar sized blast of fire from his hands at the blast of lightning. The two flew at each other at an incredible speed. When both met, they instantly dispersed and made a show of small fire and lightning that drifted down like dust.

"How did you get you're powers?" Kai asked, shooting another blast of fire at Deren.

Deren engulfed his hand in lightning and smacked the fireball when it was close, instantly dispesing it. Deren didn't even feel the heat.

Mara told Deren a possibility of his new-found powers. She believed him to be the modern version of her old enemy, Draid. Deren felt that he shouldn't tell Kai everything, just things he needed to know. But, in no way would it help Kai in the battle.

"I had the ability inside me the whole time." Deren said. "That lightning strike freed it." He then shot a spear shaped bolt of lightning at Kai. Kai sidestepped as it came closer, but he made the mistake of trying to grab it as it passed. When Kai wrapped his hand around it, pain erupted in Kai's hand. Usually, things like that would burn people. Kai was immune to burns. But, this was a completely different, indescribable sort of pain. The closest Kai could make to describing it was a hundred needles being jabbed into his hand at once. Kai took his hand away from the bolt and shook his hand. The bolt dispersed as it passed Kai.

Kai knew that it was only a matter of time before the two of them drew their swords and began to fight that way. It would not be the first time that the two fought like that. But, every time they fought with their swords, there never seemed to be an official winner. There was always something else that interrupted and ended the battle. Kai hoped that this would be the last time he would have to face Deren. He hoped, though, that that didn't mean he had to kill him. Kai saw himself as above killing. He refused to stoop down to Deren's, Cade's, and Lilith's level. But, there were many times where Kai considered it as an option. If the time came and he had to do it, Kai would do it.

Kai shot a volley of fire balls at Deren which flew towards him from above. Deren swiped his arm and a shot of lightning blasted each fireball, dispersing them, but one volley was still making it's way towards Deren. Instinctively, Deren crossed his arms above his head in an X shape. The fire hit his forearms, sending him sliding back on his feet, and his clothes steaming. The fire hurt him a little.

Deren glared and gave Kai an evil look with his eyes. He created the stream of electricity in between both of his hands once again. Kai could have swore that the blue was getting brighter by the second. What that meant, he didn't know for sure, but he had a hunch. It looked like Deren was charging the lightning up, and Kai knew for sure that he didn't want to be within the line of fire when Deren used his attack. Then, something popped in Kai's head. It was a crazy idea which may actually save his life. He could easily dodge Deren's attack, but he knew how anti-climatic and lame that would've look. Besides, he had no idea how far this attack of Deren's would go. It may go to the city and hurt others. Kai couldn't let that happen. Instead, he decided to block the attack.

"You need to fight lightning with fire." Kai whispered to himself.

Kai then extended his arms and pointed them down, diagonally so that were parallel to his hip. Kai then created fireballs in each hand. The flames were getting brighter and bigger the more he charged it. He just hoped that the light wasn't enough to get anyone awake. Soon, Kai's hands were completely engulfed in flames so they both looked like miniature suns glowing with fiery energy. He had a feeling that if anyone but him touched it, their fingers would be incinerated instantly. Kai didn't need this blast to hurt Deren. He just needed it to subdue whatever Deren was doing.

Then, Deren's lightning striked. The middle of the stream Deren made shot a bolt of blue electricity directly at Kai, so fast that Kai barely had time to react. Kai swung his arms together in front of him so his wrists were touching. The two suns fused into one larger one and a beam of fire shot at the lightning. When the two met, flames flew out from the middle. A huge light show was being given. Too bad no one else was there to witness the spectacular sight. Kai and Deren did their best to put as much energy into their beams as they possibly could. Deren was even sweating. Kai grit his teeth as he fought.

"Give up your crusade Deren!" Kai ordered. His voice was barely audible from the fire and lightning.

"Not until I'm standing over your corpse!" Deren countered.

"My time has not come." Kai said.

"Oh," Deren said, "it will, sooner than you think."

"No." Kai defied. "I still have a reason to live. _You_ do not. There are people I need to protect!"

Deren's eyes widened. Of course, he thought to himself. How could he be so wrong in his approach to take Kai out. Kai has become too soft and caring, not the Kai Deren once knew. But, he prayed that that would be in his favor. Deren had to make Kai believe that he was attacking his heart.

Deren quickly let go of his stream. Kai was so surprised that Deren had just given up that he too let go of his beam. Unfortunately for Deren, the remainder of Kai's fire blasted him in the chest and sent him flying into the courtyard of the castle. Kai ran across the bridge in hopes of getting to Deren, hoping that he was still alive. Kai stopped in his tracks when he saw that Deren was slowly getting up. Deren stood in the middle of the courtyard, his clothes somewhat burnt. Kai stood in front of the open gates, relieved that Deren was alive.

"I've had enough of you." Deren told Kai. He then turned to face the castle. "I think it's time to pay your friends a visit."

"If you touch them," Kai threatened, "I'll send you straight to hell."

Deren shrugged and started to walk to the castle doors.

Kai unsheathed his sword and charged.

* * *

Author's Note: I hoped you guys liked the chapter. I'm deeply sorry that it didn't contain as much action as any of us hoped. When I was writing it, I found that I had gotten to about 3000 words at one point, and I realized that the chapter would be much too long if I added some more sword fighting. As many of you know and noticed, I like to elaborate and describe my action scenes well. But, at least you guys got some nice lightning verses fire action.

Also, just a heads up, I'm going to start writing the next chapter a little later meaning it'll be up a little later because I just got my copy of Assassin's Creed: Unity from online, and I want to devote my weekends to playing it. As some of you may know, Assassin's Creed is my life. I love Assassin's Creed more than I like Frozen. I may have a review for the game up soon for those of you who are interested.

Anyway, let's get back to talking about fanfiction. Please review/comment on this chapter! I'm trying to break the number of reviews I have for The Coming Storm. That's, like, over 170 reviews. Can we do it?!

For other projects, I may stop this story for a little during Christmas and 1 or 2 holiday themed chapters will be posted in this story. After that's out of the way, I'll continue with this story. My next series will be a Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus story that will be up in 2015. I have the entire story played out in my mind, and for those of you who're fans of the series should definitely check that out. I'm pretty sure it'll be a roller coaster of feels (God, I hate that word).

Ciao.


	12. Ghost - Part II

**Ghost - Part II**

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Kai's eyes were filled with determination. His teeth were clenched together. His hand was tightly wrapped around the handle of his sword. He was not going to let Deren lay a finger on anyone he cared about. Deren was a dead man if he does so. The day that Kai would let anyone hurt them is the day when he would forsake them, and he would never forsake them. Kai knew that the smart thing to do would have been to reach for his dagger as well when using his sword so he could dual-wield, but Deren now had new found powers, and Kai had a feeling that a fire would be more useful against lightning than a dagger.

Deren had his back turned and was walking smugly toward the castle doors. Kai knew for a fact that Deren wasn't that blind as to completely ignore Kai's presence. Deren was many things including cunning. Deren was expecting Kai to let out his anger in the charge. In fact, he was counting on it. In battle, Deren knew that if the enemy attacked in fury, their defense and guard would be dramatically lowered. Deren was hoping he could use this to his advantage. But, he also realized that Kai was taught how to fight the same way he was. Kai might be expecting Deren to counter. He would be very stupid if he wasn't.

When Deren heard that Kai was close behind him, he unsheathed his sword which had a black blade like Deren's old dagger, and spun, aiming the hilt so that it would intercept Kai. Kai, however, was smart enough to anticipate this. Before Kai's face made contact with the hilt of the sword by about a foot, Kai dropped and slid on the ground. Kai, as if the world was in slow motion, swung his left arm at Deren's ankles, knocking the lightning user down on the ground, face first.

Kai slid past Deren and ended up a few yards away from the castle doors. Kai jumped back up and spun towards Deren. His legs were slightly crouched in a battle position, and he then swung his sword. His left hand ignited in flames. Kai watched as Deren quickly go this bearings and jumped up off of the ground. Deren's nose stung. He knew that a bruise would eventually form on the bridge of his nose. Deren glared at Kai with murderous eyes. He wanted to badly to just smite Kai then and there. He would have the revenge he longed for for what seemed like an eternity. Deren spun his sword like how Kai would spin his. Kai noticed how slowly Deren spun his sword. There was no way the sword was light. It was for sure lighter than Kai's sword. Kai hoped that factor would go into his advantage. The heavier the sword, the slower you strike.

But, Kai couldn't base his advantage theory from an assumption. Deren knew how to handle swords really well, if not better than Kai. He was probably a master at using his weapon. Kai knew that he shouldn't be too arrogant when fighting Deren. Arrogance was the downfall of countless other people before Kai's time. He knew that he should not make the same mistake as those who proceeded him. But, history does repeat itself.

"You sure you want to do this, Kai?" Deren asked as if he really wanted Kai to just give up.

"I'm through talking." Kai said. He then held his sword up horizontally in front of him. He then put his hand over the tip of the blade and produced a ball of fire. Kai ran the fire down the entire sword up until the handle. By the time the sword was being held, pointing downward, the blade was glowing yellow. Deren, unlike Kai, was not fire or burn proof. If that metal touched his skin, it would not feel good at all. He would be toast... literally. Kai hoped that the heated blade would cut cleanly through Deren's black blade. It was just a hope, though.

"There are two ways on how we finish this." Deren said. "The first option: I beat you until there's almost no breath left on your bloody body and I'll pretty much drag a corpse with me."

"I don't think so." Kai said.

"Second option," Deren continued, "you come with me quietly and this will all be over sooner."

"What about the option where I beat you to a pulp and then warn you to never come close to me and my friends ever again?" Kai suggested.

Deren managed a chuckle as if what Kai said was the funniest thing he heard in a long time.

"Sorry." Deren said. "But that's just not in the cards!" He quickly jabbed his free hand at Kai. A bolt of blue lightning shot it's way towards Kai at the speed of light. Kai was busy trying to decided whether he should dodge or deflect the attack. But, that split second cost him the upper hand. The blast hit him in the chest, and Kai was pushed back a few feet while still on his feet.

While Kai was in pain and trying to recover from Deren's attack, Deren ran at Kai with his sword raised. When he was close enough, Deren launched himself into the air and right at Kai. His sword was raised diagonally to his shoulder. Deren didn't plan on giving Kai a fatal blow, so he would settle with cutting off Kai's arm or something of the sort. But, if he did accidentally kill Kai, then Deren would be just fine about that. Mara would have to continue her plans without the help of Deren or Kai. Deren didn't like Mara enough to keep his alliance with her until the expiration date. Come to think of it, Deren didn't like many people at all. One of the only people he used to like was now his target.

Kai was able to recover faster than Deren would have hoped. Kai, when he was done being a human electricity conductor, sidestepped Deren's attack, making Deren land on the ground and miss his target. Kai then swung the hilt of his sword towards the back of Deren's neck. Kai hoped that that attack would incapacitate Deren for a while assuming it did hit him. But then, Deren did the most surprising and most extraordinary thing possible; he dodged. Deren fell forward onto the ground, his hands holding him up from landing face first. He then kicked his legs out, hitting Kai in the stomach and pushing him back. While Kai staggered, Deren pushed himself back up and took quick steps towards Kai.

Deren raised his sword up and prepared to swing down at Kai. The hilt of the handle was meant to hit the area between Kai's neck and left shoulder so that Kai would be greatly hurt. But, as Deren swung down, Kai caught Deren's left arm with his left hand. Kai did his best to force Deren's arm away, and Deren did his best to push forward. Kai, whose right hand was free, dropped his sword and reached for his dagger. Kai knew that his next move could very much kill Deren, but it didn't matter to him during his current predicament. Kai was thinking of self defense, and besides, Deren was a pain in Kai's posterior who was much better dead to Kai than alive. But, Kai promised himself that killing was not the way. Kai made sure that he would just stab Deren so that he would avoid any important organs.

Deren's eyes moved towards Kai's right hand. Kai, who noticed that Deren was fully aware of his intentions, grabbed his dagger as quickly as he could and jabbed it to the side of Deren's lower torso. Deren quickly grabbed Kai's hand and the dagger handle and gripped it as hard as he could, trying to keep it away from his body. But, that didn't stop the tip of the blade from impaling Deren slightly. It stung Deren, but it didn't bother him much.

"Stand down!" Deren ordered.

"Oh sure," Kai said, straining, "I'll gladly do it after you do."

Kai then remembered that he had fire powers. Kai ignited his left hand, the one where he was holding Deren's arm back from, on fire. Deren clenched his teeth together so that he wouldn't scream. He wanted to keep their battle quite more than Kai wanted to. Deren couldn't let anyone know about his attack. Then, Deren remembered the powers he had. Deren created electricity which danced over his left hand, which was holding Kai's right hand and dagger. Kai tried to ignore the pain which was being inflicted upon him. But, Kai knew that Deren was in great pain as well. The fabric around Deren's arm started to burn off. Kai thought it was a matter of who would break first.

Deren then kneed Kai in the stomach as hard as he could. Kai bent forward in pain, and his flames died out, leaving most of Deren's right arm completely bare of any clothes. Kai dropped his dagger which fell onto the ground with a "clang" sound. Deren then raised his leg and kicked Kai back hard on his chest. Kai lost his breath and desperately inhaled air in hopes of regaining it. Deren then slashed his sword at Kai's face from Kai's left. Deren knew that from his distance apart form Kai, he wouldn't hurt Kai much, but enough to create a gash.

The tip of Deren's sword left a gash in an area right below Kai's left eye and the left side of his nose. Kai could feel the blood already trickling down his cheek. He knew that that was going to leave a scar. Kai had a enough scars on his body as it was, and Deren just added one to the vast collection. This was probably the first noticeable one on his face, though.

"Great," Kai said, "you ruined my face before my wedding."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Deren said. "I would worry about how you're going to leave that girl standing alone in front of the alter."

Kai found that he had no weapons in his hand. Both his sword and dagger lay on the ground next to Deren's feet. Kai tried to think of a plan to retrieve his weapons as quick and swift as possible. Then, he remembered that plans was not his forté. Improvising was his to-go approach. It did him good so far. He just hoped that it was on his side this time.

Kai ran at Deren directly. Deren rolled his eyes, believing Kai's attempts are futile. But, about eight feet away from Deren, Kai dropped to the ground fairly far from sliding strike distance. Deren raised an eyebrow, knowing that there was no way Kai could slide far from where he was. But, Kai stretched his arms behind him so that his body was flat and extended. He shot two streams of fire from both of his hands. Kai launched himself forward on the ground towards Deren's legs. Deren, who knew not to make the same mistake again, jumped out of the way. But, he allowed Kai to grab his weapons after he stopped the stream. Kai jumped off of the ground with both weapons in hand.

Kai then took a large step, almost a leap, towards Deren and swung his sword down. Deren blocked the attack by holding his sword horizontally in front of him.

"You're a stubborn little bastard, aren't you?!" Deren exclaimed.

"Ask anyone!" Kai agreed.

Kai scraped his sword to the side of Derens', smacking it's hilt. Deren's sword then swung down diagonally, parrying it's user. Deren's heavy sword tapped the ground, but before he could completely hold it up, Kai smacked Deren in the mouth and nose with the hilt of his sword. Deren took a few steps back in great pain, covering his nose and mouth with his free hand. When Deren took it away, he found his hand soaked in blood. Kai could see that both his nostrils were bleeding and that there was a cut on his upper lip.

Now, Deren was mad. This was harder than Deren thought it was. He originally thought that he was going to kidnap Kai when he was sleeping, but Kai was already up. Deren had never officially beaten Kai in the past, so he hoped that his training would be worth his while. He had hoped that Kai would be more weak and rusty, but it seemed that that was just not the case at all. Deren knew one thing for sure; never underestimate Kai.

Deren then lunged at Kai with full force. Deren didn't care much if he accidentally killed Kai at this point. Kai had inflicted so much harm upon him already, so he figured that it didn't matter what he did in retaliation. But, if he could, he would spare Kai's life. He was just now less careful about it.

Deren swung his sword at Kai who easily blocked it with his blade. Kai then decided that it was his turn to attack, so he swung the sword at Deren. Deren, instinctively, dodged the attack. The two of them now had both hands on their sword handles. Both usually fought with only one hand on the blade to be swift, but two hands allowed more powers. They both knew that neither of them could access use to their powers when fighting that way. It was a risk both were willing to take in order to win.

Furiously, the two swung and blocked attacks at each other. The blades seemed like they were moving at the speed of light. From afar, the swords looked like silver and black whips just clashing against each other. It was miraculous how both were able to see the others' attack and manage to block it in under a second. That was probably thanks to the fact that the two were trained under the Bandits, with King Lyre teaching them all he knew.

As a young man, King Lyre of Teranhall was a ferocious warrior who no one was equal to. But, as he grew older and his hair turned white, his body started to weaken, not allowing him to wield a blade like he used to be able to. But, he was still able to teach Kai everything he knew, and Deren, who was known as Strife at the time, was able to shadow Kai's techniques from afar. Though the two knew the same general moves, Deren relied much on power while Kai on speed.

After a few seconds of blade clashing, one clash forced the two to slide back a few feet. Each let out a battle cry as they stepped forward and swung their blades as hard as they possibly could. When their blades clashed once again, Kai proved to be the more superior during that little scuffle. Kai's sword smacked Deren's' right out of his hand, sending it flying and sticking onto the ground.

Deren tried to reach another weapon only to find that there was none. Now, it was getting personal for Kai. Kai dropped his sword on the ground and stepped closer to Deren. Kai punched Deren hard in the gut, forcing Deren to lean forward and let out the saliva inside his mouth. Kai then punched Deren's face, following it by another steel punch in the stomach.

"Back on the ship," Kai said, punching Deren's right jaw with his left hand," you made me lose three months of my life!" Kai followed that by punching Deren's left jaw with his right hand. Deren's face was completely bruised and swollen. Blood ran down his nostrils more forcefully. Kai punched Deren's stomach once again, and this time, blood spat out of Deren's mouth and onto Kai's arm.

Deren, before Kai could manage another hit, grabbed Kai by the shoulders and head butted him. Kai staggered back in pain, holding his hands over his forehead. Deren, while Kai's arms were up, jabbed Kai in the rib cage twice, one on each side. Deren then raised his leg to kick Kai, but when he pushed out, Kai grabbed Deren's leg and held it in front of him.

Kai raised his elbow and threw it down over Deren's knee, Deren howled in pain, but people around them would still not stir awake. Kai then dropped Deren's leg onto the ground. Deren would've fallen if Kai hadn't grabbed him by the collar. Kai then punched Deren twice in the face with his right arm. For the third attack, Kai uppercutted Deren's chin, and he flew back onto the ground.

Kai looked down at Deren's face to find it swollen, bruised, and bloody. Kai looked at his own hands and found them covered in blood. If he landed a few more hits, he very well might've killed Deren out of rage. He knew that Elsa would never approve of what he has done to Deren.

"What have I become?" Kai asked himself, quitely.

Deren wiped some of the blood away from his face by using his sleeve. He then spit out blood on the ground below.

"How does it feel, huh?" Deren asked. "Being the top dog. Being the top of the food chain."

"Deren," Kai said, "I-"

Deren raised his hands out at Kai. Electricity shot out of both hands and all over Kai, Kai then fell to his knees in pain. Not a single place in his body was not suffering from Deren's strike. All over, sparks of electricity danced. Kai's skeleton was flashing every few seconds. Kai resisted the urge to scream. Actually, he wasn't able to scream. The pain was all that he focused on.

Deren made sure that he was using enough to make Kai suffer, but not kill him. When he felt that Kai had endured enough pain, he stopped the lightning streams. Kai's entire body was smoking. His clothes were slightly tattered. His eyes were having trouble opening. Then, Kai blacked out and fell forward, face first.

Deren smiled, proud of himself. He then struggled to get up. His knee was in pain, but it wasn't broken. He limped over to Kai's body and heard small, slow, and weak breaths. Kai was alive, but very much incapacitated.

"So much for top of the food chain." Deren said.

Deren then looked around the entire courtyard. He was able to see small drops of blood here and there all around the place. It didn't take long for Deren to get to them and smear them off of the ground with his sleeve. By the end of it, his sleeve was soaked dark red. The two shed blood more than he would've thought. He then noticed that Kai's sword was laying on the ground. Deren limped over and picked it up. He noticed tons of scratches all around the blade. The sword was obviously used many times. It almost looked like it was used daily.

Deren limped over to Kai's body and strapped the sword to his side. Deren then pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small black marble given to him by Mara, she instructed him to throw it, and wherever it landed, a way to Mara he would find, or a way for Mara to reach him she would find. Deren threw the marble a few feet in front of him, and a large, black, void like doorway appeared. Deren couldn't see what was on the other side. All that was visible was the black nothing. Deren then picked up Kai's body and held him in front of him.

Deren took a step closer to the portal with Kai in his arms.

"All right, Kai." Deren said. "Say hello to the world's reckoning. Let's hope this works."

With that, Deren stepped through the portal which instantly disappeared when he was completely through.

The courtyard, under the moonlight, showed no signs of any battle that had taken place there. For Arendelle Castle, the rest of the night was spent in peace. But, everyone who resided in there had no idea what had just happened, nor did they know how they would be affected. They had all lost a great ally, and an even greater friend.

Kai was taken by the enemy.

**To be continued in the next chapter...**

* * *

Important: If you're a fan of the series, please read throughout the entire author's note and I implore you do not skim it.

Author's Note: Hey guys! Hope you guys liked the chapter, as always. Please write a review/comment to let me know what you think! Also, I need your guys' honest opinion for something. I just had a crazy idea for another Frozen story in my head which may act as a prequel to Phoenix Fire. That was heavily inspired by the plot of Assassin's Creed: Rogue. I feel the need to write it down as a fanfiction for you guys, but I feel like my Frozen series should be finalized with this story. But, this idea of mine is really interesting. I'll explain it in further detail below. I really, however, want to retire writing Frozen fanfiction and focus on other things such as Percy Jackson fanfiction. I just want to move on to different things. What should I do?

This prequel Frozen story of mine will be a prequel to Phoenix Fire but a sequel to Frozen, taking place in the one year gap between the two. What if Kai wasn't the first one to betray the Bandits? This story's main protagonist will be a completely new character who is a Bandit, and a colleague to Kai. Kai will make an appearance in the story, but not as a protagonist at all. He will, instead, play the part of the main antagonist as he was still siding with the Bandits. This story will show a completely different point of view on the characters, especially Kai. Strife/Deren, King Lyre, Elsa and Anna will also make an appearance in the story. This story will also have the most OCs I have ever created.

I only tell you guys this much information now because it's an idea which may not fly. At this point in time, I feel like I'm forcing myself to write Frozen stories, and I loved writing Phoenix Fire because it was fun, but now, it's become less a hobby and more of a job. It's not my greatest wish to write this, but if you guys really want it, I'll do it for you. If I do write it, my Percy Jackson fic will be up in June or May 2015 for sure, and that'll be finished early 2016 since it's going to be long.

But, hey, it's up to you guys.

* * *

Pros of writing it:

It will be a great untold chapter in my series

Ties in perfectly with Phoenix Fire and will explain how Lyre got the Conduit

It'll make you see the characters in a different way

It'll explain in further detail why it was so easy for Kai to choose to leave the Bandits

It'll be the darkest, most emotionally sad and an exciting installment in the series

It'll be shorter than The Coming Storm because I'll probably just have one exposition chapter and the rest will be the main plot.

It'll show the friends Kai had as a Bandit

It'll probably be from a first person POV (a first for the series)

It'll show themes such as betrayal, sorrow, regret, honor, debts, loyalty, and hurting the ones you love so you can do the rigth thing. Some of these are themes never before seen in my stories.

Cons of writing it:

I'm really tired of writing Frozen fanfiction

I imagine that it won't be as fun for me to write as Phoenix Fire was

If you like Kai the way he is, you won't want to see him as an antagonist

It delays the other fic which I really want to write

Although Kai and Elsa both make an appearance, they won't have any interaction with each other

There will be no romance whatsoever

Some people may think the series is as good as it is and should be left alone after this story.

It won't be much of a Frozen fanfic since it almost has no story elements related to Frozen

* * *

It'll pretty much be Frozen meets Assassin's Creed: Rogue, so I hope that gets people excited. So, please, in the reviews, tell me what I should do or PM me. That pretty much is the QOTD. Vote yes or no!

**QOTD: Should I write the Frozen fic detailed above or should I move onto other projects?**

If I don't write the full story, I will undoubtedly put up a very long, elaborate synopsis for the story including long epic dialogue and conversations. Do I want to write this story? I definitely want the story out there, but it's not my greatest wish to actually write it. Plus, only super fans of my fics will read it, and I want more readers than that if I'm going to spend my free time writing it.

Ciao.


	13. Forgetting

**Forgetting**

* * *

Kai woke up, groggily. As he opened his eyes, black spots flooded his vision. In no way could he see clearly at all. He had trouble making out where he was. He was too busy trying to remember what had just happened earlier than to figure out what was happening at the moment. Kai remembered most of his confrontation with Deren. The entire scene played back quickly in his mind. He remembered that he was winning… and he remembered that there was blood. Not his. Deren's. What had he done to Deren? He then remembered standing over Deren, but then he remembered that he was in sudden pain. The lightning had got him.

Kai was bewildered as to how he even got out of that alive. He recalled that Deren didn't want to kill him during that fight, but Kai had forgotten that piece of information while fighting. The fury in Deren's strikes told Kai that Deren wanted to eat him for breakfast. But, if Deren truly did want to kill him, he'd had done so already. The real question was where Kai was at the moment.

It didn't take a scientist to deduce that Kai was on some sort of shrine table. The only light in the room was coming from directly above. He could tell that it was moonlight rather than sunlight. Around him, he could see that he was in a very large temple like structure. It was ginormous with stairs in the middle of the bottom floor that led up to another layer of floor which resembled a railing that wrapped around the side of the walls. On the opposite side of the room from where Kai was at, on top of the stairs, was a small doorway that opened into another staircase that led up.

Kai had a feeling in his gut that that was the way out.

He tried to sit up, but something was holding him back, tightly. Kai looked down at his wrists which were firmly trapped onto stone table. Around each wrist was a line, or thick mist, of a glowing purple energy connected to the stone. Around his hands was a small sphere of the same purple energy which was so tight Kai's hands needed to be clenched in order for them to fit. Kai tried to move his hands, but they were completely immobile. They weren't going anywhere, no matter how hard Kai tried. His powers were going to be useless.

He then looked down at his feet. His ankles were wrapped around by the same kind of magic that covered his wrists and hands. Although he could shake his feet and wiggle his toes, he couldn't lift his leg up, at all. He was trapped, and instinctively, when someone is stuck in a trap, they try to get out. Kai shook his entire body, throwing his chest in different directions. Nothing seemed to be working. He couldn't rip his hands out of the purple chains. Usually, he was fairly strong, but this magic was even stronger. Kai wasn't used to being on the losing side.

"Resistance is futile." said a female voice.

Kai turned to his side, looking at the rest of the room. Out of the shadows came a woman who was wearing black robes, carried a black staff, and had black hair. Kai guessed what her favorite color was. The only thing thing that wasn't black was her eyes, which were green, and her skin, which was unnaturally pale. Kai had no idea who this woman was nor does he think he recognizes her.

"Who are you?" Kai asked.

"My name is Mara." The dark one answered. She was surprised that Kai wouldn't recognize her as Lilith. Of course, Kai has never had any contact with Mara whatsoever. Kai knew her name and the reputation that came along with it, but he had no idea what she looked like. Mara knew that she could play that factor into her advantage. She would waste less time explaining things to Kai and would go straight to what she came there for. Mara knew Kai well, though. Mara had all of Lilith's memories, and Lilith remembered how much Kai was praised. She knew his face, but he could not return the favor. Mara had a feeling that Elsa didn't even bother explaining her physical appearance to Kai. That was fine with her.

Kai had a feeling that Mara wasn't there to let him out. She looked too sinister in her attire. He was once told that looks can be deceiving, but the probability of Mara being an angelic person was not very likely at all. She looked evil, and Kai automatically believed she _was _evil.

"I assume you're the reason I'm in this, Mara." Kai said. He recalled Deren mentioning something about a lady. It was obvious that Mara was the one he was talking about. But, Deren wasn't one to be taking orders. If this woman was strong enough to make Deren do things under her will, then she was more of a foe Kai would've taken her for.

"Very smart, child." Mara answered.

Kai found it odd that she would call Kai a child. She looked no older than Kai did. But, the way she said her words seemed as though she was an old queen talking to a child. How old was she truly?

"You're also Deren's boss, am I right?" Kai asked.

"I have no boss." Deren's voice echoed.

Kai looked to find Deren slowly walking out of the shadows of the room in a similar fashion to how Mara made her entrance. The two scolded each other as Deren approached the stone which confined Kai. Deren stood cross armed a few feet away from Kai. Kai had a feeling he was doing that becasue if he got close enough, Kai might break out of his magic chains and strangle him to death.

"You carried me all the way here?" Kai asked.

"Sure." Deren lied. "Let's go with that."

"Deren has been a very valuable asset." Mara told Kai.

"Or a pawn?" Kai suggested.

Deren didn't respond. He just kept looking angrily at Kai. Kai knew that there wasn't much he could say to motivate Deren to change his mind in what he was doing. It would be pointless just to try. Deren was fueled by hatred for both Kai and the world. There was nothing he loved besides his revenge. Nothing could change Deren from a cold hearted killer into a hero. That was fine for both Kai and Deren. The world had enough heroes anyway who had done extraordinary things. What could Deren possibly do to contribute to that number?

"Wait." Kai said. "Were you guys just standing there with nothing better to do than just watching me while I was out?"

"Moving on." Mara said, avoiding the subject.

"What do you want?" Kai asked. He was pretty sure no one would go through all of this trouble to kidnap someone just to keep them as a pet. He was positive that they wanted something from him. The mystery was whatever it was that they so desired. Together, the two seemed like they could accomplish whatever they wanted. But, if they needed Kai for something, it wasn't going to be very practical like money.

"It's simple." Mara said. "We want you, Elsa, and the entire world to suffer."

Kai had never heard of such a bizarre request before in his life. Sure, most of the people Kai had faced were fueled with revenge and dreamed of suffering. Kai has never heard of anyone who wanted worldwide suffering. Whatever it was, it was big. It was definitely magic related.

"If you waned me to suffer," Kai said, "then why don't you just kill me?"

"You do not fear death." Mara said. "Not anymore, at least. In fact, your daily life includes death defying actions and fights. This danger gets your blood pumping. You do not fear death. You welcome it. You want to show and gloat about how death cannot reach you. I'm not going to kill you. Your punishment must be more severe... and so does her's."

"Her's?" Kai asked. It took him a moment to realize who Mara was talking about exactly. Kai didn't know it, but Mara had more of a vendetta against Elsa than anyone else. Her suffering was a priority. But, by making her suffer, Kai would suffer as well. Mara would be killing two birds with one stone. Her plan was almost flawless. The only variable was the amount of resistance Elsa and Kai may show. Hopefully for Mara, she would be stronger than any form of resistance.

"You touch her, and I-"

"What?" Mara asked. "You'll kill me? You're in no position to be making any threats. Besides, I know your kind. You think you're above taking a life. Trust me, sooner or later, you'll swoop down to our level. Everyone does."

Kai had a feeling that she was right. Kai once knew good people. People he could trust. People who he thought had the same morality level as he did. But, one mistake easily changed their lives. They became the same people Kai feared he may be. He refused to let himself become that. He would rather die than become the same monster.

"We have options on how we can do this." Mara said. "Option one: you go back home with your mind intact and bring Elsa over here."

"Why would I want to do that?" Kai asked.

"So we don't have to do option two." Mara answered.

"And what is that?" Kai asked.

"I have no need to tell you." Mara answered. She knew that if he was expecting it, he would do whatever he could in his power to prevent it from happening. That would make her job much harder than it needed to be, and she liked things easy. Easy things required less effort, and she hated putting in effort.

"Either way," Mara said, "I'm getting what I want."

"And so will I." Deren added.

"So, Kai," Mara said, "what's it going to be?"

Kai looked at Mara directly for a second as if he was thinking about what he could do. He could choose option one and go home and warn the others, but he was pretty sure that Mara had a backup plan in case that ever happened. If she found out, it was for sure that even more people would suffer, especially family. More people didn't need to get hurt. Whatever option two was, it didn't sound good. Neither option sounded good. Kai wasn't going to choose. He spit on Mara's cheek. Her smug smile instantly faded. She wiped the saliva off of herself, but she didn't show any signs of retaliation.

"I'll take that as a no, then." Mara deduced.

"Go to hell." Kai said.

"Oh," Mara said, "trust me, I've been to someplace worse. You deserve as much." Mara then snapped her fingers, signalling Deren to approach. He then raised his fist and punched Kai in the face. Kai's eyes closed immediately after feeling the pain. He then breathed weakly in his unconscious state.

Mara smacked Kai's cheek weakly to make sure that he was out. Kai didn't even move a muscle.

"Now what?" Deren asked.

"We make him forget." Mara answered. She took a step back and held the point of her staff above Kai's forehead. Mara concentrated all of the magic she had and told it to do one simple task; extract. Tiny glowing blue orbs of light drifted up, out of Kai's head, and into the air, forming a large clear sphere near the tip of the staff. It took about a full minute for the blue orbs to stop coming from his head and into the ball. When Mara believed that this would suffice, she took her staff away from Kai's head and grabbed the clear sphere that was floating above Kai.

"What is that?" Deren asked.

"His memories." Mara answered. "Everything he knew and loved is gone in his mind. It's all in here. He has nothing in that mind of his."

Mara held the ball in front of Deren in the palm of her hand. The ball was not very big, but it wasn't very small either. It was about the size of a standard shot-put. Deren looked at it, believing it to be blank, but after observing it closer, he could see different images and scenes playing back to back inside of it. It was everything Kai had witnessed from his perspective. He could see Kai talking to Aiden Cain, the first person to ever betray the Bandits. He saw Kai laying his eyes on the Conduit. He saw Kai's first kiss with Elsa. He saw flashes of the countless fights Kai had been in. Kai's life was literally flashing before Deren's eyes.

"What will he remember?" Deren asked.

"Oh," Mara said, "I left in some important details which are essential for Kai's success."

"Such as?" Deren asked, wanting elaboration.

"How to speak English," Mara answered, "his name, how to fight, and things like that."

"Will he remember anything about Elsa?" Deren asked.

"Of course not." Mara answered. She then put the sphere in a pocket inside her robe. She then patted it, making sure that it was in place. She couldn't lose it just yet.

"Why don't we just destroy it?" Deren asked.

"Because then we wouldn't have anything he wants." Mara answered, as if it were obvious.

She then put her hand over Kai's head and refocused her energy. From her hand, a green mist was formed which crept onto Kai's face, going into his nostrils and seeping through his closed mouth. When Mara was done, she took her hand away and watched Kai as he made strange faces in his unconscious state.

"What did you do to him?" Deren asked.

"I may have taken Kai's memories," Mara said, "but that doesn't mean his nature will be different. I have given him some of the darkness inside of me, and hopefully that's enough to corrupt him."

"Corrupt?"

"He'll be more violent." Mara elaborated. "More unrefined. More dangerous."

"You said hopefully it's enough." Deren said. "What does that mean?"

"He has a strong will, I'll give him that." Mara said. "He will try to resist. We can just hope he loses."

* * *

Kai found himself standing inside a completely white plane. Nothing was there. He couldn't see any walls or roof, assuming there was one. He highly doubted that there was anything confining him there. But, he felt like if he walked one hundred yards one direction, he would still see the same things.

"Where am I?" Kai asked himself.

Then things got dark.

From the distance, he saw darkness devouring the white of the plane. Black nothing swept throughout the white as quick as Kai could comprehend what was happening. He didn't know if it was real or not, but it felt real to him. Kai knew that running would be futile. Fighting back would not be an option. How could he fight darkness itself?

Soon, the darkness had completely passed him and continued to devour the white behind him. It looked like he was standing in black space with no stars. He couldn't see anything around him still. He half expected some random monsters to just pop up and charge at him. Kai realized that if that did happen, he would be defenseless as his weapons were not at his side.

Then, Kai felt a pain inside his gut. Whether it was real or not, the pain felt real. He looked down at his stomach to find the blade of a sword sticking out of it. Blood gushed out of the wound. The other end and the handle was on his lower back. Kai then realized that it looked exactly like his sword. In pain, he turned his head behind him. There, he saw a figure, although it was black and should've blended in with the rest of the dark plane, his silhouette was clear as if an aura surrounded him.

"What?" Kai said, trying to keep himself from screaming.

The shadowy figure then, from head to toe, started to gain colors and look less lifeless. Kai's eyes widened when the shadow was finished shapeshifting. It looked exactly like Kai. The only thing that was different was the evil smile on it's face and green eyes instead of Kai's red ones.

The green eyed Kai leaned forward next to Kai's ear.

"Let the darkness take over." It whispered.

* * *

Kai woke up, gasping for air. His eyes were now green instead of it's usual red. They resembled Mara's eyes, strikingly. It seemed slightly disturbing for Deren. He wondered if Kai adopted Mara's malicious personality as well. He wouldn't be surprised if he did, though.

"Who are you?!" Kai demanded, looking at Mara and Deren.

"The real question is," Mara said, "who are _you_?"

"I'm Kai," Kai answered, "and I'm..."

Kai couldn't recall anything. There was nothing in his memory. He knew he had a last name, but he couldn't recall it. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he was still at a lost of words. Everything in his vast memory bank was cleared. Not a single thing he remembered remained. He tried hard to concentrate on remembering, but he just couldn't.

"Do you remember me?" Mara asked.

"No." Kai said, truthfully. "I can't remember anything at all actually."

Mara smirked. "Good."

Kai then took a closer look at Deren. Kai could've sworn that he'd seen Deren's face before. How could he forget? Still, he had no name that went along with the face. If Deren meant anything to him, Kai didn't know it.

"Have we met before?" Kai asked Deren.

"No." Deren lied.

Kai wasn't sure whether to believe Deren or call him out on his claims. But, he was too busy focusing on other things. Especially who he was and if there was anybody out there who missed him. He wanted to know more than anything who he was. There was nothing more he wanted.

"Let me out." Kai said, referring to his magic chains.

Mara and Deren looked at each other, unsure whether they should oblige to Kai's request or refuse it. If Mara spoke the truth, Kai would be more dangerous than ever before. He was dangerous as it was. But, Mara knew that Kai did not know any better in the moment. What was the harm?

Mara snapped her fingers, and the magic chains disappeared around his wrists, hands, and ankles. Kai then sat up on the stone table, rubbing his head. He felt a pain in a certain spot as if someone had just punched him.

"Let's get straight to business." Mara said. "I have something you want, and you have something I want."

"And what would that be," Kai asked, "Miss..."

"Mara." Mara answered. "That's Deren." She head pointed toward Deren who was standing with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"Okay, Mara." Kai said. "What could I possibly have that you would want. I don't even have my own memories, much less anything else besides the clothes on my body."

"I only need your flames." Mara said.

That was one thing Kai did remember. He looked down at his hands and produced fire that danced around his palms. But, this fire was green instead of it's original bright extinguished the flames and looked back up at Mara who still wore a smug look on her face.

"I need you to do one task for me." Mara said.

"What's in it for me?" Kai asked.

"I know a way which can return to you what has been loss." Mara answered.

Kai knew exactly what Mara meant by this. His heart began to beat faster than it had previously.

"My memories..." Kai whispered.

"Yes." Mara said. "They have been stolen, but I can give them back."

"By whom?" Kai said. "Because I'll find that person and rip their throat out."

"It matters not." Mara evaded. "I can help you with that, if you help me."

"What would you have me do?" Kai asked. He was sort of desperate to get what was rightfully his back. He had just met Mara, but now she was already offering hI'm her help. He knew that it would never usually be that easy. He reckoned he had better take the chance while he had it. But, there were some things even he couldn't do. He hoped Mara wouldn't ask much of him.

"There is someone I need brought here." Mara answered. "A Queen about your age, with abilities over ice and snow, and hair as white as snow."

"Why don't you ask tough guy over there to do your dirty work?" Kai asked. "I'm no ones tool."

"A favor for a favor is all it is." Mara said. "No ones calling you a tool."

"Well, it definitely sounds like I'm being used." Kai said. "What if I refuse?"

Deren then extended his hand out and created electricity which zapped all around his hand and wrist. Kai took it as a threat. He assumed that things weren't going to be in his health's favor if he refused Mara's offer. But, he wasn't going to just sit there and take the pain. Kai was about to create his own fireball when Mara raised her hand out at Deren.

"You may leave." Mara said. "But good luck finding someone out there who will help you with your... problem." Mara knew that there was only one group of people who could hell Kai, but as far as Kai was concerned, the trolls didn't exist. If he ever did pass by them, though, he would just think they were mere rocks.

"I accept." Kai said. "What's the catch?"

"None at all." Mara said. "Just be careful when over there Kai. Those people are the most deceitful you will ever come across. They will say things so you may stand down. They will claim that they know you and love you and that they're your friends. I warn you now that whatever they say is a lie no matter how hard they try to enforce it." Mara knew exactly the things Elsa and the others would say to Kai when they see him. By lying to Kai prior to his mission, he would have his guard way up. They won't be able to convince him of anything.

Mara then took something out of her robes. It was the same black pearl Deren used to summon a black hole for transportation. Mara out the pearl in Kai's hand.

"Use this when you have incapacitated Queen Elsa." Mara instructed. "It will open a doorway to where I am. Just throw it, and wherever it lands, a door will open."

Kai put the pearl away in his pocket and made sure that it was secure and safe.

"Anything else I need to know?" Kai asked.

"You'll find her in Arendelle." Mara answered. For some reason, Kai believed that he remembered the way to the city.

"Remember." Mara said. "Do not trust them."

* * *

Author's Note: Hey guys! Hope you liked the chapter! Write a review/comment! The story will get dramatically more suspenseful and exciting from this point on.

Last time, I asked you guys whether I should write a prequel or not. A majority of you guys said I should no write it if I didn't want to, but you all seemed eager to read it if I made it. It'll be based off of Assassin's Creed: a Rogue by a lot. Truth be told, I have not played Assassin's Creed: Rogue yet, but I have played and beaten Unity. I may try to get ACR this Black Friday (Wish me luck that I don't die). I kind of want to write the prequel now, and I might make the PJ fic be my summer project priority.

I've put together a short teaser trailer below for the prequel fic and after reading it, you'll decided for yourself if you truly want to read it if I make it.

(Most quotes are from AC:R trailer. Watch the Assassin's Creed: Rogue story trailer for a good picture) I don't have official names for anyone else besides the main protagonist, Aiden Cain. So, hope you guys enjoy, and after reading this, please tell me if you want me to write the prequel or not.

* * *

**Cain's best friend: Cain was a Bandit. He was a friend... a brother.**

* * *

Cain's love interest: You can't be goofing off all of the time, Aiden. You know how much potential Kai sees in you.

* * *

Mentor: I have used the maps to track the artifact there, but I fear the rest is up to you my friends.

* * *

Cain: Kai! You made me slaughter innocents!

Kai: Why would you care?! You're a Bandit!

Cain: The blood of that boy's father is on my hands!

Kai: So what?! It's just a child! Besides, the mission was a failure. We can't go back to Lyre empty handed.

Cain: Is that all you care about? Restoring your honor?!

* * *

Cain: I can't let this happen again.

Cain's love interest: What do you mean?

Cain: Kai has to pay. Someone must make amends.

* * *

**Cain's best friend: And now the man I once called brother... is coming to hunt us all.**

* * *

Elsa: You have done my family a great favor, Aiden. My sister spoke highly of you. I expect that you will not disappoint.

Cain: I don't plan to, your majesty.

* * *

Strife: You're not the only one who wants revenge, Cain.

* * *

Bandit: Traitor! Kai will see you dead! You will fail.

Cain: I will kill EVERY last man who defends him if I must.

* * *

Kai: What is it you are doing exactly? Killing your brothers? Betraying me? Hurting everyone you once knew?!

Cain: We don't have the right to worry about their fates.

Kai: The right?! We have the responsibility to protect them! You gave up that responsibility.

Cain: And you gave up the responsibility of being a good leader.

* * *

Cain: Damn it, you're either with me or against me!

Cain's love interest: I cannot be with you, Aiden.

Cain: Then get out of the way.

Cain's love interest: I can't just let you claim Kai's life.

Cain: Don't make me hurt you too...

Cain's love interest: You don't have much choice at this point.

* * *

Elsa: Aiden, whoever it is you're after. This man... He deserves to pay.

* * *

Cain's best friend: You betrayed everyone you knew. You became our worst enemy. And for what?! Because Kai made a mistake?!

* * *

**Cain: Someone must make amends.**


	14. A House Divided

Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter was up a little later.

* * *

**A House Divided**

* * *

"Calm down, Elsa." Kristoff instructed.

Both Elsa and Kristoff stood outside of the chapel which was located inside of the castle courtyard. The sun was shining radiant light all across the city as if it knew that the day was going to be a grand one. Elsa wore a beautiful white wedding dress, similar to the ice dress she wore when she lived in her ice palace. Kristoff was wearing a fancy and sophisticated suit, something very rare for Kristoff to wear. He hated wearing fancy clothes. They always felt uncomfortable for him and he couldn't work in them without getting them dirty, which Anna always hated.

The doors were closed in front of them. On the inside would be Elsa's future husband and her sister, along with countless other spectators who couldn't wait to witness the grand, once in a lifetime event. Elsa had not seen Kai at all that day as planned. They didn't want to create bad luck like that. In a minute or two, Elsa would walk into the chapel, holding onto Kristoff's arm. Since her father wasn't there. she felt that Kristoff was the one best suited for the task. Although he didn't think it was a good idea, both Elsa and Anna insisted. It didn't take long for him to accept. He couldn't let them down no matter the circumstances.

Making a half circle around the two were countless other people who weren't lucky enough to get a seat inside the chapel. They all had faces filled with anticipation and excitement. The Queen was finally getting married and would share her power with another. Not only was this a big day for Elsa and her family, it was also a big day for Arendelle and kingdoms throughout. Now, other kingdoms wouldn't have to deal with just Elsa.

The wedding was planned so that Elsa and Kristoff would walk in in a certain time. That way, they would have to spend less time waiting for everything to be perfect and get it down quickly so that the festivities may commence and everyone would dance the night away. It was only a matter of seconds before they would walk in proudly. Elsa straightened her silver tiara, and Kristoff made sure no part of his clothes were wrinkled. He wouldn't want to look messy in front of all of those people.

Kristoff noticed how heavy Elsa's breathing was.

"You're going to do fine... probably." Kristoff said.

"Oh, thanks." Elsa said. "That makes me feel _so _much better."

"Try not to mess up." Kristoff said. "Don't accidentally freeze the chapel or turn some people into solid ice."

"Don't give me any ideas." Elsa said, trying to block Kristoff's words out of her head.

"There's no one in there to be nervous in front of." Kristoff assured her. "Kai doesn't have a choice accept you as you are, Anna will accept you no matter what, Olaf doesn't know any better, Lena can't understand much beyond potty time, and Sven's a reindeer. It won't matter to us if you mess up in there." Then, Kristoff remembered that the chapel would be surrounded and filled by people who he had probably never met before in his entire life in Arendelle. "Of course," Kristoff continued, "there are the hundreds of random citizens who may call for your beheading if something goes wrong, but besides that, there's no one to worry about."

"You always know exactly what to say." Elsa said. She meant it as a joke, but the tone in her voice contradicted the joke.

"Motivational speaking was my second choice for a career." Kristoff said, smugly.

"Funny." Elsa said.

She refocused her attention from Kristoff to the closed doors of the chapel. In any second, the bell would ring because the clock would reach twelve o'clock, and the doors would be open for Kristoff to walk Elsa down the aisle. Elsa just hoped that nothing would blow up in the coming seconds. Stuff blowing up was a normal occurrence when being around Kai. She remembered the sequence of events in which they found this pattern. First it was the fishing business near the docks, then the school, then the bank (while trying to stop some robbers), and he almost blew up an orphanage. Kai was lucky Elsa was giving him free passes all that time.

"Oh," Kristoff said, "I almost forgot!"

Elsa turned toward Kristoff with her eyebrow raised. He pulled out a rose from his front pocket. Surprisingly, the rose was not at all ruined or bent in strange angles. Kristoff must've made guarding this rose a priority. Elsa wondered why he even had the rose out, then she remembered that she was missing something in her hands. She had no bouquet of flowers.

"Here." Kristoff said. He handed her the rose which she held onto with the tip of her index finger and thumb from both hands. "It's not necessarily a bouquet," Kristoff continued, "but it'll be a good replacement."

"Yes." Elsa said. "One flower is good enough to replace dozens."

"Well, if you don't want it-"

"I was kidding." Elsa said. "It's not much, but thank you."

"You're welcome." Kristoff said.

Elsa realized how strange the words sounded, coming out of her mouth to Kristoff. She had just realized how little times she had ever thanked Kristoff for anything. Kristoff had been through so much with and for Anna, and Anna did the same amount of work for Elsa. Without Kristoff, none of this would've been possible. Elsa had to show at least a bit of gratitude and respect for her brother in-law.

"I never got to thank you." Elsa said.

"For what?" Kristoff asked.

"For everything you had done for my sister." Elsa said. "You risked your own life to save hers countless times. More times than I have at least."

"You don't have to thank me for anything." Kristoff rebutted. "You gave me a home, food, a job, and most of all, you gave me your blessing to marry her. I'd say we're even."

"So you're saying my sister is worth a room in a castle, fancy food, and the ability to officially mine ice for a kingdom?" Elsa teased.

Kristoff had no idea how to answer the question. If he said yes, he might be offending both Elsa and Anna, but if he said no, then he would have to elaborate on exactly why and he didn't have time to think.

Kristoff just stood there staring at Elsa with a blank face, unsure how to answer.

"It was a joke and a rhetorical question." Elsa said. This is why we don't hang out, she thought to herself. Kristoff, being raised by trolls and all, had the social abilities of a monkey.

Then, the bells began to ring from atop the chapel. Elsa's heart almost Frozen which was pretty ironic. She took one last deep breath as Kristoff held out his arm for her to hook around. She gladly obliged and hooker her arm around his as well. Kristoff could feel Elsa's shakiness. He gestured with his free hand that it was going to be okay and everything was going to be great.

The doors were to open from the inside by some guards when the bell rang, but no such thing happened. Kristoff assumed that those guards weren't fully informed and initiated on their duty, so he just walked Elsa up to the doors and opened the one on the left hand side. Kristoff pushed the door open and hurried himself and Elsa inside.

Kristoff and Elsa turned their heads to both the right and left. Sure enough, one guard was standing next to the side of each door. These guards were the ones who were supposed to open the doors, but they obviously failed in their duties. But, the look on their faces weren't stern like they normally should be. Instead, they had slightly confused looks as if they didn't know what was going on or what was happening.

Elsa scanned the room. All of the wedding guests that filled the chair had their gazes set on Elsa. Some had raised eyebrows as if Elsa's presence was a mistake. Some had open mouths and were holding their cupped hand over it as if they had just witnessed something spectacular or dangerous or if they knew something was wrong. On the alter stood the bishop clad in velvet red robes. To his left was Anna who was wearing an identical dress to the one she wore during Elsa's coronation. To his far right were Sven and Olaf who was holding the rings on a pillow.

Everything seemed to be in place except for one thing. Kai was no where to be found. He was suppose to be standing near the bishop, but he wasn't.

Elsa dropped her white rose in shock. How could Kai miss his own wedding? He was absent for many things, but there was no way he would be absent for something as important as his own wedding.

"Elsa..." Kristoff said.

"Where is he?" Elsa asked Anna from the opposite end of the chapel.

"We thought he'd be here by now." Anna answered. "I haven't seen him all day."

There was only one logical explanation as to why Kai just disappeared, Elsa thought. He didn't want to handle the stress of being a king consort or he didn't want to suffer the limitations of being a married man.

With that in mind, Elsa turned and walked out of the chapel with tears in her eyes.

* * *

Anna was frustrated. Never before has Anna been as frustrated as she was at that moment. She couldn't believe what Kai had done to Elsa. She believed that Kai was a man of conviction who tried to see everything he does through, but ditching the wedding earlier that day gave Anna a knew look on how she saw Kai. She wasn't sure what they were going to do with Kai anymore. The relationship between him and Elsa was now shattered completely. There would almost be no way for him to recover from his mistake.

Elsa ran straight up to her room right after she found out Kai wasn't coming. Elsa not only locked the door. When Anna pressed her hands against it and knocked a few times, she could feel that it was cold as ice. Elsa had completely froze the door so that there would be no one able to get to her. Anna could hear Elsa's sobs from the other side. She did her best to talk Elsa into coming out and to discuss all of this but to no avail. Elsa wanted to be alone and she wanted no one to bother her. Anna had trouble making peace to this idea as the two grew up, and she was having trouble doing it again because Elsa never usually did this these days.

It was the afternoon when Anna finally decided to just give up. By that time, all of the party decorations were cleaned and put away and the citizens continued with their daily lives, unsatisfied by what had happened. It was going to take a while for everyone to recover. This was supposed to be a big day in the country, but the hype for it just crumbled down like a brick wall.

Anna wanted so badly to just find Kai and chew him out on what he has done to her sister and her family. Anna searched and searched but couldn't find Kai at all. All of his things were still inside his room so it looked like he didn't pack for anything. Anna assumed that he had to be back and face the rest of them at one point, and when he did return, Anna was sure to be the first one to talk to him. To do that, Anna waited inside the courtyard along with Kristoff. She was counting the ways she could completely destroy and crush Kai's body and soul while Kristoff lectured her about something she wasn't listening to. Anna sat on the edge of the stone fountain while Kristoff paced back and forth in front of her with his arms crossed.

Olaf was somewhere inside the castle, possibly taking care of Lena or trying to convince Elsa to come out. Sven was no doubt resting in either Kristoff and Anna's room or the stables. He was upset that he couldn't give the rings to their rightful owners.

"Anna," Kristoff asked, "are you even listening?"

"No." Anna answered truthfully.

"Of course not." Kristoff muttered to himself. Why would he expect otherwise? He had been married to Anna for about three years, and he knew almost everything about her and the way she handled things. He asked himself why he even started to lecture Anna when she had the attention span of a child.

"Sorry, Kristoff." Anna apologized. "I was just thinking about the immense pain and suffering I'll bring down upon Kai when he shows his face."

"You really think you can hurt him?" Kristoff asked. "I mean, he's a fighter."

"He won't hit back." Anna assured herself. "He would never dare hurt us physically. But, it's a different thing if I hit him."

"Do you think that's fair?" Kristoff asked.

"Of course not." Anna answered. She didn't care if it was fair or not. What Kai did to Elsa was unforgivable. Was it fair for Kai to leave Elsa alone during their wedding and not giving a valid or any reason at all as to why he was absent? Anna loved Elsa more than she loved Kai and that was a given. If she ever had to choose sides between the two and there being no other alternative, she would choose Elsa without hesitation. It was only natural, though. Anna knew Elsa her whole life and the day will never come when she would abandon her sister.

"What do you think?" Anna asked Kristoff. Anna spent so much time focusing on what she had in mind that she never once give into consideration what others were thinking of the whole situation. Elsa's thoughts were pretty obvious, though. Anna could tell because of the sounds of crying from the inside of her room.

"What do you mean by that?" Kristoff asked, requiring more elaboration.

"I mean what're we going to do with Kai?" Anna asked.

"Well," Kristoff said, "after I'm done punching him in the stomach, I guess we'll see how things work out. He is the head of Arendelle's guards after all. I'm pretty sure we'll never find someone out there who can do his job just as well as he does it."

"It will be awkward, though." Anna added. "Working with him, I mean."

"Yeah." Kristoff agreed.

Kristoff couldn't help but think about how much bad luck Kai was to them. Kai ruined Anna and Kristoff's first wedding by crashing into it... literally! He then ruined his own wedding by simply not showing his face. Things were never simple around Kai, nor did things ever go right. It was a miracle how Anna and Kristoff's second wedding went smoothly and as planned despite the fact that Kai was present. But, even that event wasn't enough to overlook the fact that Kai was always raising a large flag that said "Hey, bad guys, come and get us!" They should have known something bad like this would happen. It was almost inevitable.

Earlier that week, Elsa promised the castle guards the day off since she thought she was going to be in a good mood and she was quite generous as well. The castle was pretty much vacant except for the royal family and a few servants. Many had already left for home as there was nothing left in the castle for them to clean. The castle felt so empty as it had many years before. Anna hated it whenever it was like this. It reminded her too much of those lonely childhood years.

Anna felt Kristoff touch her shoulder and she focused on her husband. He pointed toward the gates that led to the stone bridge which were currently open. The silhouette of a man was made clear. Anna couldn't clearly make out his features completely, but a few more steps would allow Anna to get a better look on the man. Anna could see that he was wearing clothes very similar to what Kai usually wore. He wore virtually the same navy blue hooded top, but it looked much darker than what Kai wore. It almost looked black.

Anna's eyes widened when she saw that it was Kai. But, she had a strange feeling that something about Kai had changed. Not only did his physical appearance change, but the way he walked and carried himself looked more rough and hardened. Angry almost. He looked pretty much the same except for the fact that his eyes were unmistakably green. It didn't look forest green, but more of a sickish, evil green. He still had the same weapons strapped to his waist. Anna couldn't decided whether that was a good or bad thing.

There were a few more unique features added to Kai. As he got closer, the mark of a large scar was under his left eye and onto the left size of his nose. Something changed. Something big.

Anna stood up as Kai entered the courtyard. He darted his head towards her and glared. Anna took a step forward, but Kristoff grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"Somethings wrong." Kristoff said.

Anna shook Kristoff's arm off, feeling his sense of worry and dread, but she was certain she had to confront Kai. She walked closer to Kai, returning him the glare. As she walked, she crossed her arms as a symbol of her serious tone.

"So, you think you can just leave Elsa alone and just walk in?" Anna asked, angrily.

Kai remained mute and continued to walk with haste towards Anna. She thought this was strange. He wasn't one to ignore a question, even if he was one to ignore a wedding.

"Do you have any idea how much you hurt her?" Anna asked.

"Where is the Queen?!" Kai demanded.

Anna took a step back in surprise. She can't remember if Kai ever raised his voice at her. And his question was so completely strange and out of nowhere. Plus, he usually knew how to find Elsa. What had changed? Anna intended to find out. After she found out what was wrong with Kai, then she promised herself that she would kick him into tomorrow.

"Anna..." Kristoff warned. "I'd back away if I were you."

Naturally, Anna ignored his request. She did that to people a lot. She didn't like it when people told her what to do. She wasn't good at following orders. She wasn't good at doing things in ways that weren't her own. She made it that far in life using that strategy, and she was planning on doing it for the rest of her life.

Kai was about five feet away from Anna, now.

"Listen, mister." Anna said. "You-"

Anna immediately stopped talking when Kai grabbed her throat with his right hand. Anna struggled to breath just as much as she struggled to understand why Kai was doing this to her. He would never dare hurt them under any circumstances. What had happened to him? What had driven him to do this? Anna made choking sounds as he tightened his grip around her neck. He then lifted her up in the air, off of her feet. She kicked as her feet were dangling above the ground. She tried to attack Kai, but she couldn't find the strength to. Her face became blue quickly.

"Do not think I won't kill you, girl." Kai threatened. "It would be my pleasure."

**To be continued in the next chapter...**

* * *

Author's Note: Again, I apologize that this chapter was up extremely late. It has been about a week since the last one came out. I blame that on Thanksgiving Break. I spent a lot of that time doing other things besides writing. I sort of forgot to write when I was given the chance to. Video games were a big contribution to forgetting. I also did get a lot of cool stuff during Black Friday, so staying up all Thursday night and Friday morning was worth it.

About a week or two ago, I went to see Big Hero 6 in theaters, and I personally enjoyed it more than Frozen. It was that great of a movie, so if you guys haven't seen it yet, I would strongly recommend going to see it at your earliest convenience. I also saw The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 as well. I did not enjoy the book as it was so boring, and the movie followed the book really well so I was pretty much trying my best to keep myself awake during the entire movie.

I did buy Assassin's Creed: Rogue this Black Friday, so when I finish playing the game, I'll be set for a prequel fic if I choose to do it. Also, if I did choose to do it, the title will either be Frozen: Phoenix Fall or Rise of the Rogue.

I have finished the main story for Assassin's Creed: Unity, and I've gotten pretty far in the game as far as side content goes. A guest requested I share my opinions on the game, and I promised a review earlier, so here's my review of Assassin's Creed: Unity. Most of you probably won't care or bother to read, but please do so if you care.

* * *

**QOTD: How long do you think Kai will keep his antagonistic nature? (I know how long, but do you?)**

* * *

**Assassin's Creed Unity Unofficial Review**

Overwhelming. That's one word which I can describe the game by. The game has so much things to do and so much to offer. Way worth the 60 dollars paid for it. But, I found myself doing the majority of the side missions after I beat the game. Like always, you can synchronize view points around the map and by doing so, the content for each region the viewpoint is in is unlocked. I ran around the map the first few hours of the game doing this. However, all of the missions have a difficulty level which encourage you to wait until you're better equipped for it. I found that a majority of the side missions were like this. All I wanted to do was finish the side missions right off the bat, but the game discouraged that.

The map of revolutionary Paris was beautiful and so dynamic. The setting was amazing. But, I don't recall being involved in many historic events like you were in Assassin's Creed III. The protagonist of the story is Arno Victor Dorian, his outfit being the basis of Kai's outfit. This is by far my favorite if not my second favorite Assassin's Creed protagonist. But, he was not strong enough a character to carry the story. The plot of the game was downright bad. It was unfocused and lacked any form of epic scope. It didn't at any times make me feel invested in the story. Also, the main story was very short as well! That was a big downer. The non-linear assassination missions were great though. I can execute people when and how I want them to.

The combat in the game is good and simple, but it was a large downgrade from the previous games. You can no longer chain any kills like you were able to before. This took away the feel of you being a deadly assassin. But, the new climbing system makes up for the combat.

Mission variety is great though. They have missions about solving murders, helping random citizens of France and figures of the revolution, and puzzle solving. These missions alone killed so many hours of my time. The gear system of the game was very good as it did feel balanced. More expensive gear was obviously more powerful. And, you get to choose what kind of assassin you want to play as such as a stealth, ranged, melee, or health assassin. Every piece of gear contributes to one of these factors and none of them were a complete balance of all four.

Final Verdict: 8/10

Pros:

Great graphics

Awesome protagonist

Easy new climb system

Great, dynamic world

Loads to do in game

Cons:

Lame and short story

Combat feels downgraded

Not enough character development

Thanks for taking your time and reading this. Ciao.


	15. Cat and Mouse

**Cat and Mouse**

* * *

"Kai?!" Anna asked. Although when she said it, it came out as more of a squeak than an actual question.

Pain and confusion flowed through her body in equal amounts. His grip was getting stronger around her neck. Although his fingers didn't wrap around her entire neck, it was still a pretty tight grip as the tip of his thumb and middle finger were only a few inches apart. Anna's face became bluer the longer he held her. She couldn't breath at all. His grip refused to let Anna inhale any oxygen whatsoever. She became slightly lightheaded in only a matter of seconds.

Kai had never before even considered to lay a hand on Anna. In fact, he would never consider to lay a hand on any of his friends. He never even hurt Kristoff with a friendly punch to the arm. But now, all of that seemed to be contradicted in a matter of seconds. He wasn't just hurting Anna. He was choking her to near death. Anna's eyes started to roll behind her eyelids as she heard Kristoff run towards them from one of the fountains in the courtyard.

"Anna!" Kristoff exclaimed.

Kai's eyes fell off of Anna and to Kristoff who was running at the two as fast as his feet would allow him to. Kai noticed how Kristoff's fingers were clenched together. Kai was smart enough to know when his enemies were preparing for an attack. If he lost the upper hand, it would only be a matter of time before he completely failed his mission. If he failed his mission, then there would be almost no way that Mara would give Kai back his memories unless she had another task in mind which would be enough to suffice for Kai to regain his lost memories. Kai wasn't sure whether whatever task that would be would be as easy as his current task was, so that meant one thing: he couldn't fail.

Kai loosened his grip and Anna fell out of his hand and out of the air, into the ground. She dropped to her knees and coughed violently, trying her best to regain her breath. But, in that short matter of seconds in which Kai had her in his grasp, she had trouble remembering to breath. As she struggled, Kai shot a large blast of green fire at Kristoff. Kristoff's run had speed, but in turn for speed, he had lost mobility. He couldn't dodge the blast quick enough. Kai's large fireball, which was about half the size of Kristoff's upper body, blasted him straight in the chest, immediately singeing his clothes, and sending him flying back until he hit the wall of the castle next to the doors about fifty meters away from his position of impact.

Anna was able to turn her head at Kristoff in time to see him crash into the wall, leaving a human shaped dent into it. Kristoff's eyelids closed and he immediately slumped forward, first on his knees, and then his face. There, Kristoff lay motionless, with barely a breath in his body.

"Kristoff!" Anna said, weakly. She had no way for sure of knowing whether he was dead or alive. She then turned her head up at Kai. "Did you kill him?" Anna demanded.

"Why would I care?" Kai asked.

"Don't you know who we are?!" Anna asked, her tone sounded almost like a plea. Anna had no idea what had happened to Kai nor why he was acting like this.

"I don't need to." Kai answered. "I'm going to ask you this once, girl. Where is Queen Elsa?"

Anna had seen Kai hostile like this before and demanding answers as well, but she would never suspect that Kai would do this to her. She also knew that Kai would never address Elsa as queen, nor would he address her as "girl". Anna should have known something was strange before she set out to confront Kai. Whatever this was, it was beyond anything Anna has ever seen. She had heard of people with amnesia, but people with amnesia don't usually send people flying into walls and demanding answers. Whatever happened to Kai was not simple amnesia. Something dark was behind it, Anna was sure of it.

But, if Kai could speak, he could think. If he could think, he could be reasoned with. There was no way Kai was not unreasonable, even at this state. Anna knew that she just had to appeal to his reason long enough for him to understand who she was and who the others were to him. Or, at least long enough for him to decide that he shouldn't kill her. Both options seemed pretty good for Anna.

Anna must have been taking a little too long to answer Kai's question in a satisfactory manner. He took out his dagger (which looked exactly like it always did to Anna) and pointed the tip of the blade down at Anna's head.

"I won't ask twice." Kai threatened. "I'm also positive that there are other squealers in this place that will tell me what I want to know. I'm getting what I want no matter what happens. The only variable is the amount of bodies I have to go through."

"I won't let you hurt anyone!" Anna exclaimed.

'Who're you to stop me?" Kai asked.

Anna then kicked Kai's knee while she was still on the ground, forcing him to drop on same knee. Anna quickly but sloppily scrambled up as Kai got out of his kneeling position. He showed no signs of distress or pain from it. Anna wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. She didn't want to harm Kai, but she couldn't just slay there and let him kill her and countless others just to get to Elsa.

"You're trying my patience, girl." Kai said. "You're lucky I've let you lived this long."

Anna took cautious steps back, mostly out of fear, while Kai slowly went after her by stepping forward. His new green eyes gave Anna a murderous looking, a large red flag to her telling her that he would spill blood if he had to. Or, if he wanted to. Whatever happened to Kai, it made him more unrefined. He won't care about any morals he may or may not had prior. As far as he was concerned, he had no morals. He had nothing to hold him down from doing as he pleased to get what he was after. He had no strings attached.

Anna missed the warm reddish eyes Kai possessed before all of this. Sure, red eyes were very uncommon in the world, and Kai was the only person Anna knew who had them. Most people would take Kai's old red eyes as menacing, but he wasn't menacing... most of the time. Something very strange would have happened to Kai if it completely changed his eye color. Anna had never seen anything like this before. Of course, she had said that about herself millions of times in the past.

Anna refocused herself. She needed to talk Kai down. She needed to get past that thick skull of his.

"Kai," Anna said, "try to remember."

"You have no idea how hard I have." Kai said.

"Remember me?" Anna asked. "I'm Anna; Princess Anna of Arendelle. I'm Elsa's sister!"

"Well then," Kai said, "you must know where Elsa is for sure."

Anna wasn't willing to just give up her sister because Kai asked. She had no idea what Kai would do to Elsa after he had her in his grasp. He obviously wasn't going to apologize for not being there at the wedding. Anna guessed that right after Kai held her by the neck. Plus, he was usually supposed to know the castle like the back of his hand. He knew where Elsa usually spent her hours. If he had no idea now, Anna was determined to make sure he won't find out. She was all that's left between Kai and her sister, because if Kai took Anna down, then he wouldn't hesitate to tear down the castle brick by brick to find Elsa.

"Please, Kai." Anna pleaded. "You saved my life about three years ago, remember?"

"Sure I do." Kai said, indifferently.

It was obvious to Anna that whatever she was saying was not affecting Kai whatsoever. He was either being ignorant or... Something clicked in Anna's mind. He was either being ignorant or someone had told him to block out anything someone said. Someone had put Kai up to this, Anna was sure. But, she was probably not going to get an answer if she asked Kai who it was. Kai was loyal to his friends. Anna was thinking that if whoever this person was convinced Kai that he or she was his friend, Kai would not dare compromise anything between them. Some things, such as being loyal, cannot be taken away.

"Kai, you were engaged to Elsa." Anna said.

"I wouldn't dare be involved with that witch." Kai said.

"How could you say that about her?" Anna asked.

"I don't know her!" Kai asserted.

He then shot a blast of fire at Anna's feet, making her jump back. The green fire burned on the stone for a second before it disappeared completely, leaving no trace of it behind. Anna could have sworn that the fire felt hotter than it normally was. Was this enchantment also an enhancement? If so, then Anna was determined not to get blasted just like Kristoff was. She couldn't imagine the pain it would cause her.

"Yes," Anna said, "Kai, you do know her!"

"You think you're telling me what I want to hear?" Kai asked, sure that Anna was just tricking him so that she can save her own skin. He knew exactly when to not listen, and this was one of those times. "What I want to hear is where she is!"

Kai then clawed his hand and began to charge a blast of green fire. Anna could see the ball getting brighter and bigger. She could feel the heat intensify from where she was, and she wasn't necessarily standing next to Kai.

Kai was too focused on his mission that he never once considered one detail which may contribute to Anna's telling the truth: How did she know his name if he never told her. Kai didn't ask himself that question, nor did it cross his mind.

"We're your friends." Anna said, motioning with her hands telling Kai to calm down.

"You're a lie!" Kai said. He then jabbed his clawed arm at Anna, sending the fire ball flying at her. She quickly rolled away as it passed by her cleanly. The ball of fire died before it even hit the wall. Anna was glad of that because she wasn't sure whether the fire was going to burn the castle to the ground or just leave a mark on the wall.

"Tell me what I want to know and I promise I will be less severe." Kai demanded.

"Do you hear what your saying, Kai?" Anna asked. "You would never act like this."

"You don't know me!" Kai exclaimed. He shot another blast of fire at Anna, but she was able to duck just in time for it to fly past her head.

Anna remembered Kai being a better shot than that. He usually shot where he predicted his enemy was going to be rather than where they were. Could it be that Kai shot an easy to dodge ball so that he ensured that Anna would be safe? Could he still be in there? No, Anna thought. Kai was already too far to come back that easily. He must've shot a bad shot because he knew that Anna was his last hope at an easy way to get to Elsa. That was the most logical explanation. But, when in a world filled with magic, logic didn't apply much at all.

"I do know you Kai!" Anna said. "And you know me!"

"I don't know the first thing about you, girl!" Kai said. "You know what? I'm done talking." Kai then took more steps towards Anna, but this time, he was walking much more roughly. He was in a hurry. Anna knew that she didn't want to get in his hold again. Last time that happened, things didn't exactly go her way.

Anna did the first thing her instincts allowed her to do: run. Anna turned and bolted towards the castle doors as fast as she could and as if her life depended on it. In a way, it did. Who knew what Kai would do to her in order to get what he wanted. At this point, anything Kai does would not surprise her one bit. He was already unpredictable as it was as his normal self. He was probably even more so as an evil person.

Anna grabbed a hold of the handle of the large door on the right side and pulled it open. She wasn't used to doing this. Usually, someone did it for her. Someone much stronger than her. So, she opened it slowly but with all of her might. She was able to slip through the cracked open door while Kai was still walking towards her.

Anna looked at the large, grand staircase a few yards in front of her that broke off into two different directions - left and right - that led to the upper level of the castle. Anna ran to the steps, but as her foot touched the first step, she turned her heel to look back at the doors. Surely Kai would've entered them by now. There was no way on earth that he had given up. But, Anna asked herself what was taking him so long. He was faster than her and that was a given.

Suddenly, the doors blew open... Literally! Green fire and wood scatter around in different directions inside the opening hall of the castle. Anna raised her forearm over her head to protect herself from the debris and fire. Luckily, only a small flame touched her forearm and slightly singed her clothes. Then, out of the smoke which was made, the silhouette of Kai could be seen running at Anna.

Anna was prepared to run straight up the stairs, but that meant giving Kai an easy shot as it was easier to hit a target moving forward or backward than side to side. Anna had learned some things about combat from Kai prior to this. Before she can decided where to go, she was forced to roll to the side in a split second to dodge and incoming fireball. Anna dodged her right, and instinctively ran forward towards the door closest to her. She knew that it led to the dining room. On the other side of the dining room should be another door which leads to a hallway with another flight of stairs, Anna thought.

Before Anna's hand could touch the handle of the dining room door, the door blasted open in front of her thanks to Kai's fire. He obviously meant to hit Anna, but he obviously missed. At least now Anna didn't have to open the door on her own. She turned and thanked Kai very briefly, much to his own confusion. He had never had anyone thank him for trying to hurt them before. Of course, he didn't know that for sure. He wouldn't be able to remember it if it actually ever happened to him in the past.

Anna knew that the next run would be a straight one to the other side of the door. She was fairly certain that Kai didn't intend to miss once again.

Kai ran to the now door-less doorway. He entered the dining room and expected to see Anna run straight to the other side of the room to the other door which was about one hundred meters away. But, he saw no such thing. He didn't see Anna in front of him at all. All he could see was the neatly made grand dining table that took up most of the room space. Covering the table was a large white cloth sheet that hanged over the edges and met the floor. Kai slowly walked into the room and continued to scan the area around him. Still, Anna was no where in sight.

Anna, of course, was still in the room. In the short few seconds it took for Kai to run into the room, she used it to go under the white table sheet and under the table. She tried to keep her breathing slow and quite. She tried not to let her fear ruin her advantage. She wanted to scream as loud as she could, but that would surely be the end of her. Instead, she quietly, but hastily, crawled under the table towards the other side of it: the side closest to the door. As she crawled, she could hear Kai's footsteps which echoed through the otherwise silent room. Not another sound filled the air.

"You think you can hide?" Kai asked. "I will find you, girl. You won't make it to the end of the room, much less past me."

Anna found something odd. From under the table, she could see the silhouette of Kai's feet and legs. As she crawled, the silhouettes seemed to walk with her. It was as if Kai already knew where she was and he was just teasing her, still playing cat and mouse. Anna crawled more quickly, but, as she had expected, his feet also hastened with hers. Then, one thing made her skin pale and crawl. Her foot scratched the wooden floor, loud enough for Kai to hear. Anna stopped crawling and Kai stopped walking alongside her.

She expected for Kai to grab her right then and there, but it didn't happen just yet. Instead, a plate, which was already set on the table prior, was pulled off of the table and onto the floor, shattering upon impact. Anna was startled by its sudden shatter, so she gave a little shriek.

Instantly, the part of the sheet to her left was lifted open revealing Kai who was crouching down. His green eyes showing a hint of satisfaction.

"Peek a boo." Kai said, menacingly. "There you are."

Anna then rolled to her right as fast as she could, barely avoiding a fireball which past her heels as she sprung up from out of the ground. The door was only a few feet away, so she decided to make a run for it. As she ran, she could feel and hear Kai's other blasts of fire pass behind her. She was so glad she wasn't caught in any of it. She pulled the door as hard as she could and it swung open. She slipped through as swiftly as possibly and slammed it shut behind her.

Anna ducked to the sound of fire destroying wood. She looked up above her head to find a giant hole in the middle of the door, steaming rapidly. She helped and ran toward the nearby staircase which led to the upper level of the castle. When she was at the top of the stairs, she looked back at the destroyed door just in time to see Kai kick it down with one forceful kick.

"How long are we going to play this game?" Kai asked, looking up at Anna. "We can't do this forever."

"You should remember how persistent I usually am." Anna said. She then strafed to the left as another fireball flew her way.

Anna quickly jerked her head to the left to face the corridor. In the middle of the corridor was a set of white doors larger than the standard room doors in the castle. Anna recognized it perfectly. If she went through there, she would enter a clear hallway with no rooms but littered with windows. On the other end of the hallway should be the doors which led to Elsa's study. Anna silently prayed to herself that that's where Elsa was. Right now, Elsa was the only one who could combat Kai.

Anna sprinted away from the stairs and railing. She quickly turned her head back to see how Kai was faring. She saw him land over the railing and onto the second floor by launching himself in the air with streams of fire. Lucky for her, she was able to enter the doors and slam them shut just as Kai broke into a sprint.

Anna ran as fast as she could through the long corridor which seemed much longer than it usually did. Behind her, the doors blew open and fire erupted throughout the corridor. The windows shattered outward and shards of glass flew. All of this while Anna was running for her life. Anna grabbed the door handle of one side and pulled it open. She dared to look back and found the black silhouette of Kai through the green fire. Anna slammed the door behind her closed and found herself in Elsa's study,

"Elsa," Anna said, "Kai's..."

Empty. Everything was where they were supposed to be. The table was still in the same place with papers stacked neatly on it. The large portrait of their father was still in it's usual position. The large sliding window that led to an outside balcony was shut. Elsa was nowhere to be seen. Anna had a feeling that everything was over. It was only a matter of time before Kai entered the door and she would be trapped.

Before Anna began to cry of fear, the doors slammed open normally, not with fire. Kai walked frisky towards Anna. She could get a glimpse of the green fire in the corridor.

"Nowhere else to run." Kai said.

"You'll need to take me down before I talk." Anna said, defiantly.

Kai gritted his teeth and ran straight at Anna. He hopped onto the table and lunged at her in a tackle. Anna dodged and rolled out of the way to the side. Kai couldn't stop his movement. He smashed through the glass doors and rolled off of the balcony, onto the ground below.

Anna knew that this was no time to check whether or not he was alright. Kai would stop at nothing to get what he planned on getting. It was going to take a lot more than a little glass and a fall to stop him.

Then, Anna remembered one name: Lena. If Kai stumbled upon her...

Anna raced out of the room through the corridor. The flames didn't bother her as they slowly began to diminish by themselves. Anna raced through the castle, through corridors, to find and get to her room. When she saw it, she entered it immediately, fearing that Lena might be in trouble.

"Lena!" Anna exclaimed.

She looked into the room to find it nee't and tidy. The large bed was completely done. The baby crib was placed at the foot of the bed, and Lena still laid there, sleeping happily.

Anna sighed in relief, but that was about to be short lived.

Anna felt a foot kick her foreword. She arched her back as she fell to the ground. She knew that Kai had found her. He grabbed her shoulders from behind and pulled her up roughly. He then slammed her against the wall next to the door after turning her so that she was facing him. Anna felt pain all over her back, especially on the lower neck area.

"You're becoming a pain, girl." Kai said.

"My name is Anna." Anna said, reminding Kai.

"I don't care." Kai said. "At the end of the day, you're just another obstacle ready to be knocked down."

He then grabbed her by the neck once again and gripped her hard enough to slightly choke her but easy enough so that she could barely breath. Kai then pulled her back and held her in the air. His strength was also enhanced, Anna thought quickly. He then slammed her against the wall once again. The same pain refilled Anna's back.

"Where is Queen Elsa?!" Kai demanded.

"Never..." Anna choked out.

Kai then slammed her against the wall again by the neck.

"Where?!" Kai demanded.

"I'd rather die..." Anna said, losing consciousness. "Than give her to you."

Kai slammed her once again for good measure.

"I'm getting tired of this." Kai said.

"You'll never..." Anna couldn't even finish her sentence. She knew that she was on the brink of death. She had been to this door once before, and it wasn't the best feeling in the world. She just couldn't accept that fact that Kai would be the one to take her life away from her. Anna glanced over at Lena one last time, wanting her last sight to be her beloved daughter.

Kai caught where Anna's eyes were drifting. He originally thought she was just looking at something random, but when he heard the sound of a baby's cry, he looked behind him to find the crib. It was as if Lena could sense her mother's pain. Kai formulated an idea in his head.

He then let go of Anna. She collapsed onto her knees. The blood began to run back up to her head. She coughed violently once again, trying her best to remember how to breath.

"Fine." Kai said. "If pain won't make you talk, then perhaps something else will." He then turned his back on Anna, facing Lena. "Let's see how much pain you'll let that baby endure before you talk."

Kai walked slowly over to Lena.

"Don't touch my daughter!" Anna demanded.

But, she was too tired to do anything else besides plead. She couldn't bear it if Lena got hurt because of her. If we lost her daughter because of her stubbornness, she couldn't live with herself. She couldn't forgive herself or Kai. She didn't want to tell Kai the truth: that she had no idea where Elsa was. That was not something he wanted to hear. Unless Anna said something useful, Kai would continue on his course.

Suddenly, a blast of ice and snow flew at Kai from the doorway. The blast hit Kai directly in the back of his head, and he crumbled to the floor instantly. A streak of white hair grew across the back of his head, replacing some of his black hair.

Anna looked up at the doorway to find Elsa whose eyes were tearing from shock and horror.

"What..." Elsa said, tears running down her eyes. "Kai..."

Anna stood up, barely able to stand due to the immense pain she was recovering from. Elsa took a step forward into the room and collapsed onto her knees, still trying her best to process everything that had just happened. Never before has she seen Kai like this. He was so violent and dark. This wasn't the Kai she fell in love with those few years ago.

Anna knelt down beside her, wrapping her arms around Elsa's shoulders, rubbing them to comfort Elsa. She knew that it probably wasn't working though. Elsa had just hurt someone she loved to save someone else she loved. This was a lot for one person to go through in just a matter of seconds. She just wanted to let Elsa know that she was there for her.

"Elsa." Anna said. "Elsa look at me!"

Elsa reluctantly turned her head toward her sister who looked just as pained.

"Did he hurt you?" Elsa asked.

Anna nodded. "And he made a mess of the castle." She added.

"Oh, God." Elsa whispered. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's sick, Elsa." Anna told her. "He's very, very sick."

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked. Kai looked as fit as he could be. He showed no sign of physical illness. If Anna meant mental illness, there was a large possibility that he was indeed sick.

"I mean," Anna elaborated, "look at him. He's changed. Whatever it is, something dark has taken over. He's not himself, that's for sure."

"What kind of thing can do this to him?" Elsa asked. "There is no such thing as true dark magic. If there was, surely the trolls would've told us about it."

"Maybe it's something that's beyond the trolls' power, Elsa." Anna said. Right off the top of her head, she couldn't think of many things that can overpower the magic of the trolls. They were arguably the most powerful beings on the planet because of their supernatural abilities. They definitely were experts on all magic just as much as they were love experts.

"He says that he doesn't remember anything about us." Anna said.

"Amnesia?" Elsa asked, choking back a sob.

"Amnesiac people don't do this." Anna said. "The trolls will know more,"

"Yeah..." Elsa said. She was in the midst of processing everything that had just happened in this short time. Confusion was her enemy during the processing.

"We better get him to the trolls." Elsa said. "Before that ice in his head kills him."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hey guys! I tried to make this chapter with an even mixture of Chase action and character confusion. Plus, since this is the last installment in my trilogy, I'm going to try to make it as intense as possible. I hoped that goal of mine turned out pretty well. Please write a review/comment like I always ask of you. I need your input on chapters and your reactions tell me whether I'm doing things right or wrong. Also, this chapter was fairly long compared to other chapters.

I promised you guys Christmas chapters earlier, but I'm not sure whether or not I'll write them. One reason is because I don't have any ideas for one, although I have an idea for a subplot. Also, I really want to focus on this story's completion. So, tell me what you think I should do.

Also, I have a QOTD today as well!

**QOTD: What's a song Kai would sing to Elsa?**

For me, I think The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy would fit for this. Listen to it and read the lyrics to see why.

Ciao.


	16. Strange Magic

**Strange Magic**

* * *

"Is he going to be okay?"

Elsa couldn't recall exactly how many times she asked Grand Pabbie that question. It must have been over a hundred. But, he never fully answered her question since he was so caught up in his delicate work. One mess up could mess up Kai for good. He couldn't risk any distractions, so normally he would just make everyone wait somewhere else, but he knew how bad they wanted to be there for their friend, or at lest who used to be their friend.

Kai was placed on top of a large smooth rock which was a perfect substitute for a medical bed. Pabbie was standing on a rock placed right next to Kai's rock so that he was facing Kai's head and work on it. Elsa stood next to Pabbie, looking down at both Pabbie and Kai as he worked. Sven was at Kai's feet and Olaf was riding on top of him. Both carried rather depressed faces on them. Anna and Kristoff stood next to each other on the other side of Kai to Elsa and Pabbie. Kristoff was tapping the tip of his foot on the ground repeatedly in anticipation.

After the entire fiasco at the castle, they raced Kai to the trolls as fast as they could manage. They arrived just as the moon began to shine over the kingdom. Pabbie didn't ask any questions when he saw them because he knew just by looking the danger Kai was in. He motioned for them to follow him into a cave which was only about fifty meters away from the clearing in which all of the trolls called home. Only when he started to fix Kai's frozen brain did he begin to ask questions on what happened. As Anna told him the story, his frown got deeper and deeper.

Before they knew it, Pabbie announced that he had cleared the ice from his brain. Unlike the last time he did that, no memories needed to be altered. Kai was a grown man and he could handle himself. Elsa let out a sigh of relief after Pabbie healed him. She was so glad her powers didn't do any major damage on anyone again. It happened a few times in the past, and she had to admit that they weren't her best moments. She'd rather to just forget they ever happened and to continue with her life as it is.

"He's going to be okay, right?" Elsa asked.

"Define okay." Pabbie said. His mood did not lighten up at all. He still had the serious demeanor on, even after the "operation" was completed.

"Well, is he going to hold up?" Elsa elaborated.

"Oh," Pabbie said, "he'll live. He's going to be fine. But, whether he's okay or not..."

"Get to the point, please." Kristoff said. He knew that that was somewhat rude of him to suggest that. Pabbie had practically raised Kristoff, and Kristoff saw him as the closest thing he had to a father. Kristoff respected him more than he respected himself. But, he hated it whenever Pabbie acted so crypted. He didn't like being forced to keep asking and figuring the answer out for himself when he could just simply be told the answer. It wasted his time; time which could be spent mining ice or obsessing over reindeer. To top that, Kristoff was just thrown into a wall and was certain he had one or two broken bones. It should be expected that he was a little cranky.

Pabbie glanced over at Anna and refocused his attention on her. He wasn't entirely listening to every single little detail during Anna's story. Healing Kai took longer than he had expected. The magic ice inside of Kai was much more potent than the one that hit Anna because it was on purpose instead of accidentally. Elsa wanted Kai to go down, so she made certain that he did.

"You said that his eyes and fire was green, correct?" Pabbie asked.

Anna nodded, trying hard to forget the devilish look Kai had when he discovered her hiding under the table. She couldn't get the menacing image out of her mind no matter how hard she tried. She could never forget that one of her closest friends was willing to kill her, Kristoff, and her daughter.

"That is odd. Very peculiar." Pabbie said. "Of course, so if many of the other things that we are forced to deal with. But, I've lived a long life. I've never ever seen anything like that before."

Pabbie then raised his hand over Kai's head. Then, mist seeped out of Kai's head and formed a small pool-like screen of magic, exactly the same as the one that grew over Anna's head when Pabbie healed her and altered her memories.

"It's something I've never dealt with before." Pabbie added. "Something... evil."

"Well, it felt evil" was what both Anna and Kristoff wanted to say, but they decided to keep it to themselves. They didn't want to worsen things for Elsa. She was already under a lot of stress as it was. The last thing they wanted to do was to throw some gasoline over the fire. But, Elsa had a general idea of how evil Kai had become. The trashed castle was a good example for Kai's new destructive nature.

Before any images could show on the mist, it immediately turned greened and disappeared into Pabbie yanked his hand away as if he just touched a hot pan. He shook his hand as if to rid it of any darkness that might have stuck onto it.

"What was that?" Olaf asked, looking more worried than ever.

"I have never seen anything like it." Pabbie said. "I tried to see what was up with his nature, but there was a darkness in it that pushed me away."

"Darkness?" Kristoff asked.

"This darkness is not the same darkness as you might think of when you see a shadow or night." Pabbie said. "This darkness may be as much of a natural element as fire and ice are."

"You don't see darkness in nature." Anna added. She had never thought about darkness being a force. She always associated it with the times when she couldn't see since her vision was shrouded in darkness. But, the thought of darkness being a substance was completely bizarre. Then, she remembered that if there was light, then there is darkness. This is that darkness.

"That's because there shouldn't be." Pabbie said. He tried hard to remember something he read many years ago. It seemed so insignificant at the time that he just shrugged it off and regarded it as nothing more than a myth parents tell their children at night. He couldn't remember the exact details of it, but he did know that it involved darkness and did not bode well at all. If he'd only known that the information provided in the text would be relevant for him now, he would've always kept the story in the back of his head.

"Let's talk about this later." Pabbie said. Everyone saw the distress that took over him for a slight amount of time, and that worried them. They knew that Pabbie was the wisest of them all, though. If he thought it best to move on, who were they to argue. They were sure that he would tackle the obstacle eventually.

"Does he remember nothing?" Pabbie asked.

"Not exactly." Anna said. "He knew his name and he still kept his knowledge on how to use his powers."

"That is most strange indeed." Pabbie said. "I would expect him to forget those things as well, but this is just not the case." He knew that whatever happened to Kai surpassed any form of amnesia.

"Well," Pabbie said, "perhaps I can fix the problem. I can alter memories as easily as I can unlock them."

Pabbie raised his arm in the air and the same white mist seeped out of Kai's head. Images began to appear one by one inside the mist. Elsa and the others paid close attention to what exactly was happening. They saw Kai holding Anna by the neck, they saw him traveling to Arendelle, and they saw him waking up in a very strange place which greatly resembled a temple. But, the images stopped there, and the mist once again disappeared.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked Pabbie.

"I cannot go any further." Pabbie said. "There's nothing else to see."

"Of course there's stuff to see." Elsa said. "He has twenty five years of memories."

"I know." Pabbie said. "But it's not as simple as it seems."

Pabbie wouldn't expect for Elsa to know anything about what he was doing or what he has done. He wished that she understood what had happened to Kai just as well as he did. It would make his life and job so much less harder than it needed to be. He tried thinking of an analogy about the entire memory concept for Elsa and the others to understand.

"Think about it this way." Pabbie said. The others scooted in as far as they could to listen up. "Memories are like books in a library, and this library would be, of course, your mind. It's where all of your information and experience is kept. When someone completely forgets their memories, it's like they've been locked out of this library. Eventually, they'll find their way in and have access to their memories again."

Elsa nodded slowly and slightly as Pabbie told them the analogy. She was following along quite well, understanding perfectly what Pabbie was trying to teach her.

"But," Pabbie said, "Kai is different. He's not necessarily locked out of the library. If so, I could easily give him the keys to get back in. He has access to the library, but there are no books in them. No memories. The entire place was picked clean, leaving only a few bits and pieces of information which Kai currently knows."

"So what?" Kristoff asked. "Did Kai just forget everything just like that?"

"No." Pabbie answered. "If you can forget, you can remember. If he forgot it, I could help him remember. One does not simply forget all he has known. His memories were not forgotten. They were taken."

For a good few seconds, there was complete silence between everyone in the small cave. All of them were pondering why and how it was possible to take someone's memory. Taking one's belongings was one thing, but taking their memories was completely different. Memories are who they are. Memories define a person. Memories shaped the person into what he or she currently is. Taking them away would mean taking everything away. There was almost no greater loss than losing who one is.

"By whom?" Elsa asked.

"I do not have all of the answers." Pabbie said, disappointed to himself. As wise as he was, there was still plenty of things he didn't know. He wasn't as omniscient as many people mistaken him to be. He gave advice, but he wasn't a fortune teller.

"Well," Anna said, "can't you just give them back to him." Anna was one of those people who overestimated Pabbie's abilities. She always thought that he could fix any problem concerning magic, as he was probably the one who dealt with magic the most out of everyone in the entire world.

"I am not the one who took them away." Pabbie said. "I cannot return to him what has been stolen."

"Then do what you did with Anna." Elsa suggested. "Plant new ones in there good enough to be substitutes."

"I cannot just create and plant memories, Elsa." Pabbie said. "I merely altered Anna's memories. I did not create any new ones."

Elsa was getting frustrated. She had hoped that Pabbie would make everything better for everyone, but all he managed to do was to fix Kai's icy injury. After that, nothing but bad news came to her. All she wanted was Kai back and normal. His condition was not something Elsa wanted to put up with at all. She had no idea what to do now, knowing that Pabbie is powerless to do anything to make Kai the way he used to be.

"Then what are we going to do?" Anna asked.

"We find whoever took Kai's memories and take them back." Elsa answered.

"Yeah," Kristoff said, "good luck with that. We don't have the slightest idea on who this person is, nor do we have any clues that will help lead us to him or her either. It's going to be a lost cause, and I'm not wasting my time on a lost cause."

Elsa clenched her fists. She had half a mind to turn Kristoff into a nice ice sculpture right where he stood. She refrained from doing so because Anna was standing right next to him.

"Lost cause?!" Elsa asked, angrily. "You think helping Kai is a lost cause?!"

Both Anna and Kristoff could feel the temperature around them decrease. Anna wouldn't be surprised if a miniature ice storm would just appear and rage inside the cave. The torches would be diminished in a matter of seconds.

"I didn't mean it like that." Kristoff said.

"Well, it sure sounded like it." Elsa countered.

"Stop fighting!" Olaf exclaimed, sounding like a child. He then hopped off of Sven and ran out of the cave, not wanting to see a scene.

"Okay, that's enough." Anna said, holding a each hand out in front of both of them. The last thing she wanted was a brawl between Kristoff and Elsa, and she had a feeling Elsa would completely wreck Kristoff in a mere few seconds. She was protecting Kristoff by stopping the spark before it caught fire. But, she was mostly making sure Elsa didn't create another eternal winter.

"Arguing isn't going to bring Kai back." Anna continued. "We can't be at each other's throats, especially not now."

Elsa found it odd that she and Kristoff were being so childish about all of this. Of course she knew that Anna was right. It wouldn't be helping anyone, not even herself, to take her anger out on another person. It won't be helping Kai especially. They were all a team, whether they liked it or not, and they needed to cooperate perfectly with one another.

"You two would be wise to take her advice." Pabbie said. "But, Kristoff is right, Elsa. It would be very unwise to run off and search for whoever has done this to Kai. It may take years for you to even get a clue on who this person is."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Elsa asked. She was out of options at that point. She had nothing else to do for Kai.

"Well," Pabbie said, "the best thing we can do is wait. Whoever did this to Kai clearly wanted something from you, Elsa. I'm certain he or she will not stop there in whatever they intend to do. I'm sure they'll eventually come out of the shadows."

"But, until they do, we're not getting Kai's memory back." Kristoff said, grimly.

"I'm afraid not." Pabbie agreed.

"So," Anna said, "we're stuck with a guy who have no idea who we are. It's going to talk a lot of convincing for us to tell him about everything he has done and who we are."

"I imagine that will be especially hard because of his current state." Elsa said. "I'm going to be honest with you guys; I'm really not looking forward to him waking up."

"He'll attack right when he sees Elsa." Anna told Pabbie.

"Hm..." Pabbie said, scratching his chin with his fingers. His skills in magic were superb, far beyond those of everyone he knew. Perhaps, he would be able to help them if he truly tried. "I may be able to help you with that?"

The others gave Pabbie a confused look as if he was speaking gibberish.

"I thought you said you can't fix him." Elsa said.

"Not completely." Pabbie confirmed. "But, there's a slight chance I may be able to expel the darkness within."

"Since when did you become an exorcist?" Kristoff asked.

"It's not an exorcism." Pabbie said. "I'm not dealing with malevolent spirits. I'm dealing with darkness itself. Like always, darkness can be countered with light."

"So," Anna said, "what're you going to do exactly."

"I'm going to do my best to use magic to expel the darkness." Pabbie said. "It won't give him back his memory, but it will greatly lower his aggression."

"As long as it will make him better..." Elsa said. "Do what you must."

"It's going to take time." Pabbie said. "I've never done this before, but I have an idea how to. You may want to wait outside while I do it. It's very time consuming, and very difficult. I suggest you all get some rest."

They weren't prepared to argue. Pabbie knew what was best, and it would be very unwise for them to ignore his suggestions. They reluctantly all walked outside, with Sven in the lead. They walked over to the clearing which all of the trolls called home, and where Kristoff was practically raised for many years of his life. They glanced over to a noisier part of the clearing and found Olaf playing with tiny troll children.

The adult trolls, who used to be talking to each other, made way for Kristoff and the others as they walked to the center of the clearing. Silence was common among all of them. No troll dared to speak yet because they had no idea what was happening, exactly.

Then, one troll, who had a small cape made of greens hanging on his back - similar to the one Pabbie wore - approached the group from the crowd. His necklace had almost as many crystals as Pabbie did, much more than the other trolls. This troll was certainly Pabbie's second in command as he resembled Pabbie in attire incredibly. He was also Pabbie's protégé, learning the ways of magic as Pabbie knew them.

"Rollo." Kristoff acknowledged.

"Kristoff." Rollo said. His voice sounded quite young and not as deep compared to the voices of the other trolls. "What's going on in there?"

"Pabbie's doing his best to fix Kai up." Kristoff answered. "He said it may take a while."

"I should be in there with him." Rollo said. "I know magic well enough to assist him."

"I'm not sure that you'll be a great help, Rollo." Elsa said. "Pabbie says that what he's doing surpasses even his own knowledge and abilities."

"I thought Pabbie knew everything magical." Rollo said.

"Everything that he thought mattered, yes." Elsa agreed.

"What do you mean by that?" Rollo asked. He was not one to doubt Pabbie's abilities like the others were, but Elsa was making him sound powerless. Pabbie was not at the slightest powerless. Wisdom comes power.

"One second," Elsa said, "Kai was with me. The next, he barged into our home and hurt Anna." When Elsa said that, Anna rubbed the area of her neck which Kai grabbed her by.

"Oh yeah." Kristoff said, sarcastically. "He hurt Anna! Oh, poor Anna. She must feel horrible. Let's all worry about Anna even though I was shot into a damn wall."

The others ignored Kristoff's comments. It really wasn't the time for sarcasm. Actually, it really wasn't the time for anything except for worrying and hoping that the future would be brighter.

"I'm pretty sure this is the first time in his lifetime that Pabbie has encountered something like this." Rollo said.

"Seems like it." Elsa agreed.

"But, I'm no stranger to troll history." Rollo said. "We've had instances where our magic couldn't help people through there problems such as this one time a large brown beast asked us to turn him into a human prince again, and another time when a king and queen asked us to find a way to reverse some spell on their daughter. This must be another one of those times."

"Well, they pulled through, right?" Anna asked.

Rollo shrugged. "We've never heard from any of them again, although I'm pretty sure they fixed their problems with-"

"Let me guess." Kristoff said. "True love?"

"Of course." Rollo said.

"It seems like that's the cure for anything." Kristoff said. "It's so repetitive in these stories told to us. I get it! True love is the answer! It's the cure for everything except for diseases. Plus, it's always the same too! I hope the day will come when I hear about true love that's not between a man and woman."

Both Anna and Elsa cleared their throats, loud enough so Kristoff could hear. He ignored them.

"Anyway," Rollo said, "when-"

He stopped mid sentence when he heard Pabbie scream from the cave. Kristoff and the others turned around to see what was up. The screaming was still there, but it was weakening. That wasn't good. Screams only weaken when one calms down... or when one can't scream anymore.

Kristoff, Elsa, Anna, and Sven ran to the cave only to find a large ball of green fire flying right at them.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

**End of Act I**

* * *

Author's Notes: Hope you guys like the chapter. I'm extremely sorry that this one was very short compared to the last one. I intended to be longer, but like always, I cut it so that the next part would be put in the next chapter. Did any of you guys catch the easter eggs I put in there? There might be a delay in me writing chapters because finals are coming up and I have to study... and by study I mean procrastinate on studying. I'm really not looking forward to them. I'm also going on Christmas vacation soon so don't expect any chapters for a week or two after Christmas.

**QOTD: If a sequel was made for Frozen, would you rather it be an original story or be adapted from a fanfiction? If so, which? (I promise I won't be offended if you don't choose mine)**


	17. The Fall of a Friend, The Rise of a Foe

**Act II: Ordeals to the North**

* * *

**The Fall of a Friend, The Rise of a Foe**

* * *

Pabbie stood over Kai, his hand raised a few inches above Kai's face. A large screen of mist floated over Kai's temple, displaying flashes of the current memories Kai had. Memories that weren't necessarily good at all. Pabbie could pretty much see most of everything Kai had witnessed, but it seemed as though very important information was not being included.

Pabbie constantly kept seeing the black silhouette of a man and woman, but he could not entirely make out who they were. Pabbie found this particularly strange because he usually could see exactly what Kai saw. It was as if the dark magic that was swarming through his body has purposely kept the identity of the two silhouettes a secret. That was another strange thing Pabbie had never seen before in his life. What kind of magic was smart enough to do that? Or rather, who would be smart enough to create that kind of magic?

Pabbie knew exactly what kind of person or people he was dealing with. Someone of supernatural abilities which exceeded even Pabbie's own capabilities. This person was someone who should not be taken very lightly and was a force to be reckoned with. This form of villain was incredibly uncommon if not nonexistent in the current world.

The adversaries Pabbie always heard of usually wanted something like power or money. They all attempted to reach their goals using manpower. Never before has Pabbie heard of someone use dark magic to achieve their goals. What possible person could be able to use and control darkness itself? Controlling darkness was not a trick people could simply learn. This evil was ancient. Ancient...

It suddenly snapped to Pabbie. He recalled exactly what he read all of those years ago. About the woman who controlled darkness and her elemental allies who eventually betrayed her. He remembered the eternal shadow over the world and how the dark being was banished. It has never been before recorded of a dark being besides this witch. Either a new one was born, or...

Kai's eyes shot open just as Pabbie finished his last thought. Kai darted his eyes toward Pabbie. Under other circumstances, he would question the existence of a talking rock, but this was a different circumstance. Kai had no idea who Pabbie was nor what he was doing. So, naturally he did the thing he was best at. Before Pabbie could calm Kai down and explain things to him, Kai smacked Pabbie hard with a swing of his arm and it sent him flying into the cave wall.

Pabbie hit it so hard that a small crack appeared on his back. It was very possible for that crack to get much bigger.

Before Pabbie could get himself together, Kai rolled off of his stone bed and lunged a few feet at Pabbie. Kai then grabbed Pabbie by the back of his necklace of crystals and raised him up against the cave wall. Pabbie's feet dangled helplessly above the ground.

"Who are you?" Kai demanded.

"Kai," Pabbie said, "please-"

"Answer my question, rock!" Kai demanded. Kai wasn't sure whether or not anyone else was close by, and reinforcements was the last thing he wanted against him. He tried his best to keep his voice down but still as demanding.

"You may not know me," Pabbie said, trying to sound as formal and as confident as he could. But, that was in itself a struggle. He obviously did not have the upper hand during his little predicament. Kai could easily finish him off in a mere number of seconds if Pabbie made the wrong move. But, that's exactly what gave Kai the upper hand. He knew that Pabbie was frightened, so that would make it easier to make him squeal. Pabbie could not let his fear show or else he would be showing weakness, and that would make Kai's job so much easier.

"But I know you." Pabbie said. Pabbie couldn't remember the last time he actually talked to Kai. Now that he thought about it, he had never talked to Kai before in his life. The two have seen each other occasionally, but never had they engaged in a formal conversation. Pabbie knew that Kai was Elsa's significant other, and Kai knew that Pabbie was probably the wisest person in the world. Even with that in mind, they never really got to know each other. This was not a good first conversation.

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" Kai asked.

"Because it is true." Pabbie said.

"Did the Queen put you up to this?" Kai asked. "Messing around with my head?" Kai was told of how deceptive Elsa and her family could be. He would never let them talk him down as he thought the probability of their words being lies were incredibly high. He had no reason to trust Elsa or anyone else besides Mara. She was the one who had what Kai wanted, and he intended to do whatever he could to get it back.

"No, Kai." Pabbie said. "I'm trying to help you."

"I feel fine." Kai said. "Unless you can do anything about my memories, you're just another soon to be corpse."

Pabbie did not like the sound of that. The way Anna had described Kai earlier made it sound like he was a man of no remorse and no morals. That didn't sound like the old Kai at all. The old Kai was somewhat refined and had morals, but now, he has been completely reformed for the worst. Everything he was before was now dead. No, not dead. Taken. Whoever took Kai's memories, everything that Kai was, is the worst type of adversary. They turn those you love against you.

"I cannot help you with your memories." Pabbie said. "I am truly sorry."

"Yeah?" Kai asked. "Sorry is not going to get you out of the fire. What reason do I have to let you live?"

Pabbie knew that at that point, there would be nothing else he could say to save his life. Anna was right when she said that Kai had become a monster. He used to be a hero. People all around Arendelle would sing songs about him and tell stories to their children about Kai's past and his great deeds. It took less than twenty four hours for Kai to become what he is now. It took less than twenty four hours to erase the honor that came with those stories.

"I..." Pabbie said. "I'm a friend."

"I ask again." Kai said. "Who are you?"

"My name is Pabbie." Pabbie answered. "Grand Pabbie. King of the Trolls of the Valley of the Living Rock."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Kai asked.

"To you?" Pabbie asked. "No."

"If your name means nothing to me," Kai said, "neither does your life."

Kai then raised his other hand and clenched his fist. Green fire then engulfed his hand and wrist. Kai could see the reflection of it inside of Pabbie's scared eyes. Kai wasn't sure exactly what fire could do to a rock, but he was very experimental. He wanted so badly to find out exactly how much damage he could do in one strike.

"It doesn't have to be this way." Kai said.

"Then put your hand down." Pabbie agreed.

"We're too far in to stop now." Kai countered. "There is one and only one way you survive. Where is Elsa?"

Moment of truth, Pabbie thought. He had no idea exactly what Kai would do with Elsa after he has obtained her. He was not yet willing to compromise the security of a girl he invested so much time and magic into. Elsa looked up to him, and how could he betray that fact? He also knew that there would be almost no way for Elsa to stand up against Kai. For all he knew, Kai was superior in combat. He didn't want her to face him.

Then again, Kai would find out where she was anyways. She was most likely outside with the other trolls. Kai would find them even if Pabbie didn't tell. His death would be pointless. But, this new Kai was unpredictable. He had no idea whether Kai would keep his word or not.

"You're going to just kill me either way, aren't you?" Pabbie asked.

Kai smirked. "You're smarter than you look." He'd expect Pabbie to not be tell him since he just admitted to killing him either way. But, if Pabbie was smart enough to figure out Kai's deception, then he would be smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

"I will not tell." Pabbie said. "Neither will I beg for my life. I am no coward."

Kai then was triggered to attack. As hard as he could, with as much force as he could apply, he punched his fire hand as fast as lightning into Pabbie's body, below his head. Kai soon found that his fist was completely embedded into the rock that was Pabbie's body.

Pabbie let out a howl of pain as cracks began to appear all over his body. Kai willed more energy into his fire. Soon, the cracks began to glow green from the inside.

"Loyal to the end, huh?" Kai said.

He then yanked his hand out of Pabbie's body and let the rock go. Pabbie landed on the ground, his back leaning against the cave wall. A large hole was broken into his body. The cracks had smoke coming out of them.

Kai then heard loud footsteps coming from outside the cave. It was obvious that a group of people were making their way towards him. The steps were rapid enough to make it obvious that they were running or at least jogging. Kai walked to the exit of the cave, concealed in the shadow of the cave exit. He could see the moon shining down upon the clearing ahead of him.

He then saw Elsa and her friends and family running towards the cave, with worried looks on all of their faces. Kai knew that this was a good opportunity to claim Elsa and escape to Mara with her. But, he could see that he was outnumbered. Past them, Kai could see an entire clearing full of trolls just like Pabbie. To add to that, he didn't know Elsa's prowess in combat. She may be good or she may not be. The odds were against him, it seemed.

Now is not the time to get her, Kai thought. For sure, Mara would make Kai go after her another time. Right now, all Kai was concerned about was getting out of there, and he had only a few seconds before the others got into the cave and see what he has done.

Kai shot a fireball right at them as they ran. But, the fireball flew towards the ground at their feet rather than at them and past them. The group jumped to the side as the fireball, which had just touched the ground, exploded into a long wall of fire. Kai couldn't exactly remember how he could make a wall of fire, but he was happier knowing that that ability was within his domain of expertise. He had expected for the trees and grass around the firewall to catch fire, but the fire did not seem to spread. Kai's artificial fire was very different from natural fire. It was more refined as it seemed. The fire was large enough to create a obstacle between the cave and the others.

Kai quickly remembered of the pearl Mara had given him. She had claimed that Kai could use it as a short way to get to her. Kai quickly reached into his pocket and felt around for any smooth sphere. When his fingers met something smooth, his thumb and index finger pulled it out of his pocket. In his hand was a small pearl of pure black. Remembering Mara's instructions, Kai turned back and faced the inside of the cave. He then threw the pearl a few feet at the ground in front of him. Instantly, the pearl broke and a large doorway of complete darkness formed in front of Kai. He couldn't see what was on the other side nor did he know exactly what awaited him inside, but Mara had told him to use it. What reason would Mara have to lie to Kai about this if she needed him?

Kai was about to step inside the shadowy doorway but he felt something was missing. He looked down at his waist to find that his weapons were no longer strapped to his side. Kai turned his head to find them leaning against the cave wall. He quickly swooped down and grabbed his dagger and sword.

He then walked into dark door, hoping he could find something on the other side.

* * *

Elsa shot a stream of ice from her hand and ran it across the origin of the flames where they met the ground. Quickly, the wall of fire diminished and was replaced by a line of ice on the ground. Without hesitation, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven raced over the ice and towards the cave. She was sure that Kai was still in there and because of the fact his fire was still green, she knew that Pabbie had failed his task.

They ran into the cave with worry heavy on their hearts. Elsa prepared herself to blast Kai in the head with ice again, but she saw that the small cave was empty except for her family and Pabbie. Elsa gasped and put her hand over her open mouth when she saw the condition Pabbie was in. Kristoff ran to the side of the cave, kneeling next to the dying Pabbie. Kristoff inspected the large hole inside of Pabbie's body. Anna knelt on the other side of Pabbie and held his hand in both of hers. Elsa still stood in her place, shocked. Sven looked down at the ground, unable to face Pabbie and the others.

"Kai..." Pabbie couldn't finish his sentence. He coughed violently right after he said that one word.

"He did this?" Anna asked.

Pabbie made a weak sound which was the closest thing he could do to saying yes.

"You're going to be alright." Kristoff promised. "I swear." This was unfortunately a swear which will be broken. Kristoff only said that to make both of them feel slightly better about the situation, but even he knew that there would be no way for Pabbie to survive the next few minutes much less recover from it at all. Rocks did not heal naturally like many other things did. What Kai did to Pabbie was permanent and impossible to change.

"Listen to Kristoff." Anna told Pabbie.

"If only his claims would become true." Pabbie said, managing to make a weak smile.

Elsa walked over and knelt down right in front of Pabbie. She then out her hand over Pabbie's foot and rubbed it as an act of reassuring.

"We can get you to the others." Elsa said. "Surely there's someone who can help you."

"There is not." Pabbie said. His vision got blurrier by the second. Soon, he couldn't even make out certain facial features of his allies. Anna could see that he was struggling to keep himself awake. She took that as a sign that all was doomed for Grand Pabbie. She then looked down at her knees and started to weakly cry. Pabbie had done so much and taught so many things to and for Anna. She couldn't believe that he was passing and from the most gruesome and painful way.

"Please..." Anna said, mid-sob. "Don't go."

Pabbie kept his smile and raised his arm up at Anna's face. He wiped a tear off of her cheek and let his arm down. He was almost out of energy and life to do anything else.

"Do not cry." Pabbie said. "I have accepted my time, and so must you."

He then turned over to Kristoff whose eyes were red and beginning to tear up. Everyone took Kristoff for a tough guy who never cried nor did he know the meaning of emotional pain. But, seeing Pabbie like this - Pabbie; the man who helped raise him - made him tear up. He respected and cared for Pabbie more than he did himself. Now, Pabbie was going away permanently.

"Protect them, Kristoff." Pabbie said. "Protect my people and everything they are and will be. Tell Rollo the same."

Kristoff reluctantly smiled and nodded.

"I will." Kristoff said. "Of course I will."

"Good..." Pabbie said. They could hear his voice getting weaker and weaker. They could sense his life shortening as well. Pabbie turned to Elsa for the last time. "There..." Pabbie almost drifted off into death before he could finish his sentence. "There is another out there who can help Kai."

Elsa smiled, glad to hear of those words, but incredibly upset knowing that it took his dying breath to tell them that.

"Find him." Pabbie said. "Rollo knows of who I speak of."

"Why?" Elsa asked. "Why would you want Kai to be helped even after this?"

"Because..." Pabbie said, letting out another cough. "I know to never turn my back on someone who needs help. Even in death I believe this. Never forsake each other."

Pabbie then closed his eyes and his arm went limp in Anna's hand. He lay there motionless and lifeless. Anna put her hands over her face and began to cry. Elsa got out of the way for Kristoff to crawl over to Anna and kneel next to her. Kristoff then put his arm around Anna's shoulders, and she did not hesitate to bury her face in his shoulder and soak his clothes with her tears. Kristoff closed his eyes for a long while and shed a single tear.

"Goodbye," Kristoff said, "old friend."

* * *

The trolls gathered a few yards in front of the cave, asking themselves what exactly was happening in there. They weren't brave enough to walk inside as they had no idea what to expect. The fireball that came out of it was the one thing that forced them to keep their distance.

Soon, figures emerged out of the shadows of the cave. The first one to exit was Sven who walked out slowly with his eyes pointed towards the ground. He was in no way happy or joyful at all. Sadness was the look that dominated him, and it was pretty obvious too.

Following Sven was the sisters. Anna was walking in a similar manner to Sven, with her head pointed downward. She was wiping tears off of her cheeks and was sniffing as she walked. Elsa walked beside her with one arm around Anna's shoulders and was using her other hand to hold onto Anna's upper arm. Elsa was whispering reassuring things into Anna's ear.

The most shocking of all was Kristoff. He walked out with a serious yet incredibly upset look on his face. His forearms were extended in front of him, and the body of Grand Pabbie was being held in them. The trolls all gasped and cried in equal amounts when they saw what was happening. As the group walked, the trolls moved to the side to make way for them.

The chatter among the trolls was nonexistent. Usually, they always had something to talk and gossip about no matter what the circumstances. But, silence was all that was given from them. There was nothing to talk about. There was only things to comprehend and process. Pabbie was gone. Their great leader who had cared and taught them for so many years was gone in the blink of an eye. No one was expecting it. How could they? They were all silent out of respect for the old troll.

Kristoff soon found himself in the middle of the clearing which was home to the trolls. They had made a large circle for him and the others. Olaf appeared out of the crowd and joined the group. His usual happy demeanor was gone. The saddest look he could ever manage was all he could show.

"How did this happen?" Olaf asked, breaking the silence.

"Kai did this." Kristoff answered.

Angry uproars came from the trolls. All of them seemed angry now knowing who killed Pabbie. Elsa was pained to hear all of this hate being targeted to Kai, especially since he was so close to her. She didn't want Kai to strain her relationship between the trolls at all. She knew that she needed to explain things to them to calm them down.

"Please." Elsa said. "Stop."

"This is your fault!" Yelled a random male troll. "You brought him here and now look what has happened!"

"He didn't know what he was doing." Elsa countered to the crowd. "He wasn't himself."

"And that makes it okay for him to murder Pabbie?!" Another troll asked.

Elsa desperately turned to Kristoff. She knew that if anyone was to calm the trolls down, it would be him. He was the thing that branched the trolls and Arendelle royalty together. Without him, their friendship with the trolls would never have happened. But, that friendship seemed to be short lived as it was severing as they speak. She hoped Kristoff could prevent that from happening. The last thing he wanted was for the others to be denied help by the trolls. She prayed that Kristoff would defend Kai even after all he had done.

"Help me out here." Elsa requested to Kristoff.

Kristoff looked away from her, but she knew that he heard him. His face had no expression on it. Either he had nothing going on in his mind or he had too many things to think about. Pabbie practically raised him. He taught him so much. Everything Pabbie was to him was taken away in a matter of minutes. Kristoff knew Pabbie much longer than he knew Kai. He would never forsake him. But, Kristoff wasn't thinking about what Pabbie said about not forsaking Kai.

"Pabbie is dead because of Kai." Kristoff said. His voice and words were barely audible because of the outraged trolls, but Elsa managed to barely make it out. "Do you expect me to just forgive him?"

Elsa couldn't believe Kristoff's refusal to cooperate with her. She knew that he was still sore with Kai, but it was how long that worried her. She understood what Kai had done was horrible, and she wasn't sure whether or not she had fully forgiven him herself, but she couldn't just leave Kai alone knowing he had this evil behavior and mentality. She couldn't forsake him no matter what, especially since he meant so much to her.

"Kai was your friend." Elsa countered.

"So was Pabbie!" Kristoff retorted, loudly.

Anna was overhearing the conversation her sister and husband were having while she was trying her best to calm down the trolls. She knew that the two would eventually snap apart, and she couldn't let that happen. She couldn't make herself choose sides. How could she? It's the hardest decision to make. She couldn't choose one without loosing the other, and she couldn't bear to lose either.

"Enough!" Anna yelled, at the top of her lungs.

Everyone stopped moving their lips and looked at Anna. She was panting, apparently the scream took away quite amount of energy. She didn't just direct it at the screaming trolls. She meant most of it to Kristoff and Elsa. When the two fought, which was rare, Anna was scared that everything was going to fall apart. She didn't know what would happen if things ever did. The two of the three people she loved most in the world could not be at each other's throats. She wouldn't allow it.

"Thank you." Anna said, casually.

"She's right." Kristoff said, tired of fighting. He was glad Anna could stop the spark before they caught fire. "Make sure Pabbie gets a proper burial. We all know he deserves one."

Trolls in the crowd silently agreed with one another. Pabbie told them everything they needed to know, and giving him a proper sendoff was the least they could do to return the favor. It was a bit too late to return the favor.

"We need to speak to Rollo in private." Elsa announced.

Kristoff shot her a look, but, it was more of a confused look than an angry one. His look seemed to say "You still going to help Kai, huh?"

Rollo appeared out of the crowd, looking more down than most of the other trolls. He motioned for them to follow him. The crowd broke apart and prepared to give Pabbie a proper funeral. It was going to take a while to prepare, and during that time would be the perfect moment for Elsa to tell Rollo everything.

Rollo led Kristoff, Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and Sven away from the clearing and into a small part of the forest very close to the other trolls where the moon shined brightly. It was a place where they could speak privately so that they were far enough from the others, but close enough so that there would be no real danger for them. It was always a probability to them for Kai to pop up out of nowhere and strike as they had no idea where he was nor how he escaped the cave. They needed to be extra cautious for their own sake.

"It looks like you're the leader of your people now, Rollo." Anna said.

"Unfortunately." Rollo said, sadly.

"Why is that?" Olaf asked. "Isn't it a great honor?"

"It is." Rollo confirmed. "Suited for men better than me."

He didn't have to say it for the others to tell who he was talking about.

"I'm sorry." Elsa said. "We brought him here, and you guys were the ones that paid the price."

"Not just them." Kristoff said, looking down at his feet.

Elsa looked up at Kristoff and gave him a distressed look which he couldn't see. She had no idea how she could get him back on her side; the side where Kai isn't a complete monster. She had a feeling, though, that with time, Kristoff would think more positively about Kai.

"Before he died," Elsa said, "Pabbie mentioned someone who could help Kai. Possibly someone with similar abilities."

"Is it possible he meant me?" Rollo asked. "I have trained under him for months and I know most of what he knows about magic."

"Do you know anything about darkness extraction or memory restoration?" Elsa asked.

"Well…" Rollor said. "No."

"I thought so." Elsa said.

"Besides," Anna chimed, "he didn't mean you, anyway. He did say, however, that you know of whom he speaks of."

Rollo looked straight ahead of him. The others could tell that he was deep thought. Whoever this person was did not bode anything positive to them at all. Elsa wasn't really sure whether she wanted to find out who this mystery person is… assuming, of course, that it was indeed a person and not some crazy unicorn creature from the depths of the ocean. She highly doubted he meant a unicorn.

"Yes." Rollo said. "He means his brother, Arthar. The exiled one."

"Pabbie had a brother?" Kristoff asked. "Why was I never told?"

"Because we don't like talking about him." Rollo answered. "I only know because Pabbie just recently trusted me with this information."

"Why don't you like talking about him?" Olaf asked.

Rollo did his best to remember exactly what had happened the way he was told things. But, he realized that Pabbie was very vague with the details and left out many pieces of information.

"Long ago," Rollo said, "before any of us were born, Pabbie and Arthar were like the guardians of the trolls. But, one day, Arthar lost something precious, and he was exiled."

"They just kicked him out?" Anna asked.

"That's the thing." Rollo said. "I'm not sure whether he exiled himself or the others exiled him."

"Well," Kristoff said, "it must be something very valuable if losing it meant exile."

"Yes." Rollo said. "At least that was what I was told. Pabbie seemed quick in giving me details which may or may not be valid."

"You're saying he was lying?" Elsa asked.

"Heavens no." Rollo said. "I'm just saying that the only proof for this story being valid was Pabbie. But, he's gone. I know for sure, though, that Arthar is real."

"Do the others know of him too?" Elsa asked.

"Only that he was Pabbie's brother." Rollo said. "Other than that, they're in the dark about this."

"So," Anna said, "Pabbie thinks this Arthar can help us."

"If he says so," Rollo said, "I would not doubt it." He's learned not to question anything Pabbie ever said. If Pabbie was to ever lie, it would be for good reason and to make things better for everyone around them. They highly doubted that this was a lie. Pabbie would not use his dying words on a lie.

"You wouldn't happen to know where this Arthar is, now?" Elsa asked. She was quite impatient to find help for Kai. The quicker they got it done, the less lives would get hurt because of Kai. They knew how fast Kai could do things. They needed to finish the job as soon as possible.

"You're in luck." Rollo said. "Pabbie did mention his location."

"And that is?" Elsa asked.

"Mount Caelum." Rollo answered. "Where the peak is suppose to touch the sky."

Elsa and Anna looked up at Kristoff in hopes of him knowing the location of Rollo's home. He usually knew all of these things as locations were in his domain of expertise.

Kristoff shrugged. "I've never heard of that mountain before." He admitted.

"I wouldn't expect you to." Rollo said. "It's far more northern than the North Mountain is. So far that people have no business there at all. It's land claimed by the wild."

"What would Arthar be doing there?" Anna asked.

"You should ask him that." Rollo said.

"He probably went up there years ago." Kristoff pointed out to the others. Elsa was scared that it sounded like he didn't want to go, but Kristoff's tone did not imply that at all. He was just adding a fact in which they would be stupid to overlook, and in their hurry, they almost did. "There's no guarantee that he'll still be there." Kristoff finished.

"That is true." Rollo agreed. "We cannot be sure whether he's still there, much less whether he's willing to help, or even if he's still alive. But, there are no other leads. This is all we know of his whereabouts, unfortunately."

"We need to ask ourselves what reason would Arthar have to leave Mount Caelum." Elsa said. "As it seems, there is nothing for him here or anywhere."

"All the more reason to check it out." Anna added. Anna wanted just as badly as Elsa did to go on this journey. She was more than willing to do her part in helping Kai. She did owe him after he saved her life countless times. In no way what she was doing going to make things even for the two, but it was a start. Plus, she was ready to go on another journey. She was itching to get out of the castle and have a few days of rest from being a mother.

"Guess I'm in." Kristoff said. Elsa was sort of surprised that he said it. He wasn't on the best terms with Kai at the moment. But, why else would he show up and attend this meeting if he wasn't going to go.

"Disasters happen whenever I leave Anna alone." Kristoff joked. Sven nodded and smiled, implying that he was in.

"Olaf?" Kristoff asked.

"Of course I'm in." Olaf said. "Let's go save the world!"

The others didn't want to break the news to Olaf that they weren't necessarily saving the world. Kristoff just shrugged and said "Close enough."

"Now," Elsa asked, "are you sure that Arthar knows how to help Kai."

"No." Rollo said. "But, he wouldn't tell you about him if he didn't think he couldn't help."

"Okay," Elsa said, "but none of us know how to get to Mount Caelum."

"I'm not sure if I can help you with that." Rollo said.

That was not something that put everyone's hopes up at all. They highly doubted they could find anyone in time who knew how to get to Mount Caelum. Like Rollo said, no one would ever have any business up there. It also seemed like a very bad idea to just walk past the North Mountain without knowing exactly how to safely navigate to Mount Caelum.

Then, Rollo smiled when he saw something incredible and impossible. In the corner of his eye, he saw a small butterfly with bright blue wings, impossible to miss. On the wings were complex yet beautiful black markings. He had heard of butterflies with these wing patterns before. He knew that they made their home near Mount Caelum. If he played his cards right, he could get them a guide. It all depended on whether his magic would work or not.

"On second thought…" Rollo said, smiling. "I have an idea."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: This is quite possibly the longest chapter I've ever written in my life. Hope you guys liked it. This chapter did contain lots of things important to the plot. Also, I'm really sorry I had to kill off Pabbie. I needed to show how remorseless the new Kai is. I hope you'll forgive me for this.

Recently, I thought about the complete plot of the story and realized that I could still make changes. So, huge changes from the original plot are coming up. Of course, you guys wouldn't know what the original plot is.

I think we're about two fifths done with the story at this point, and it looks like I'm going to be writing it for a while next year. Depending on when I finish, I'll make the decision to write a Percy Jackson fic or the prequel fic for this.

**QOTD (I was running out of ideas and didn't really want to ask anything meaningful so I just wanted to get to know you guys better): Who's your favorite superhero?**

Personally, I'm a fan of The Flash, Batman, and Deadpool. I can't choose between the three.

Ciao.


	18. The Guide

**The Guide**

* * *

"You see that?" Rollo asked, pointing toward the blue winged butterfly which had just made its home on top of a low hanging branch nearby, about seven feet off the ground. Rollo hoped that the butterfly would not fly far away in the next few seconds as it would probably be the greatest gift he will and will ever give them for their journey. Who knew how long it will be before another butterfly of the same type will randomly fly by for use. Probably never. They got lucky with this butterfly.

Kristoff, Elsa, Anna, and Olaf turned their heads toward the butterfly. Elsa turned her head back towards Rollo and gave him a confused look. She thought he was crazy. How in the world was a butterfly going to help them at all in their endeavors. She hoped Rollo wasn't just randomly pointing towards a pretty insect.

"It's a butterfly." Elsa said.

"A pretty one." Olaf added, still staring at the majestic beauty.

"It may be," Elsa said, "but it's still a normal butterfly. No offense, but I fail to see how that helps us at all besides give us something pretty to look at."

"Ah, dear Elsa," Rollo said, finally given the moment to continue, "that's not just a normal butterfly. It came from the forest surrounding Mount Caelum."

"Okay?" Elsa said, still confused. "It's still a normal butterfly which happens to come Mount Caelum. It's not like it has any magical qualities. I'm pretty sure it has no idea where to fly to get back to Mount Caelum."

"Think more positively, Elsa." Rollo said. "Be more optimistic like your sister."

"That's what I've been trying to tell her for years!" Anna chimed in, loudly.

"Shh." Kristoff ordered, putting his finger over Anna's closed lips. "You'll scare it away, and if Rollo says it's important, I think it's best to believe him."

Elsa mentally agreed with Kristoff for once. What was she thinking? That Rollo was crazy? She reminded herself that Rollo was no fool nor was he not bright. Rollo's knowledge and skills took after those of Pabbie's, and that meant that he was the closest thing to Pabbie that existed. Rollo was wise enough to know not to waste their time as it was as precious as a ring that made people invisible. Both time and that certain fictional object was not to be wasted. She believed herself to be a fool for not giving Rollo more credit and faith.

"Okay," Elsa said, "I'm sorry. Now, what's so special about the butterfly."

"They are not mindless creatures." Rollo said. "Like every normal mind, they have a memory."

Elsa and the others started to understand exactly what Rollo meant by that. In some way unique to butterflies, they can remember. It may not exactly be the way humans remembered things, but they can remember nonetheless. And, if this particular butterfly originated from Mount Caelum, then it's probable that it can remember its way back. There was a slight problem in his plan, though. Butterflies were free creatures who never take orders from anyone, especially not humans. They couldn't simply just ask the butterfly to take them to the mountain.

Of course, everything and anything was possible in Olaf's mind. He was more optimistic than Anna ever was. To him, if there was a will, there was a way. He had the will to give the butterfly orders.

"Hey!" Olaf said, calling out the butterfly. "Can you please take us to Mount Caelum?"

The butterfly didn't do anything because, of course, it didn't understand a single word Olaf said. It did know, however, that Olaf was addressing it when he spoke.

"I'll take that as a no, then." Olaf said. He scoffed and turned back towards Rollo. "Butterflies are rude."

Rollo's eye was twitching due to Olaf's silliness. His silliness was almost to the point of it being stupidity. He had no idea what exactly was going on in Olaf's mind, and he also had no idea how it worked. He was pretty sure Olaf didn't even have a brain, too. He was not sure why they would keep Olaf around besides him being good company. He didn't hate Olaf at all. He just didn't believe that Olaf's mind worked properly.

"Is he serious?" Rollo asked Elsa.

"Just leave him be." Elsa said, shrugging. "No way to change him, no reason to change him."

"Alright." Rollo said, accepting the fact that he had to take Olaf as who he was. "Moving on, I suppose. Kristoff, would you kindly get me that butterfly."

Kristoff glanced up at the butterfly which was still in it's exact same position. He didn't know how to grab it without crushing it, therefore crushing their hopes in saving Kai. He knew that he needed to get something else for the butterfly to crawl onto that would make it easy for Rollo to get it. Kristoff then looked at Olaf and got an idea. He grabbed the carrot right off of Olaf's face and pulled it off. Olaf gasped while Anna thought to herself "That was kind of mean." Kristoff got closer to the tree where the butterfly made it's temporary home. He then stretched his arm so that the tip of the carrot in his hand touched the branch.

Slowly, the butterfly crawled onto the tip of the carrot. Kristoff slowly, cautiously, and carefully pulled the carrot away from the branch and approached Rollo who was a few feet away. Kristoff's hand was stretched over the tip of the carrot so that the butterfly wouldn't fly away out of fear. The butterfly didn't seem scared at all, though. It showed no signs of being uncomfortable as if it wanted to be a guide.

The tip of the carrot touched the tip of Rollo's fingers, and the butterfly crawled onto the rocky surface that was Rollo's hand. Kristoff took the carrot away and stuck it back onto Olaf the way he last saw it. Olaf was satisfied, and the expression on his face returned to its original, innocent, happy look.

"I may not know how to make darkness go away," Rollo said, "but I can do something else."

"And that is?" Anna asked.

"Make a fairy." Rollo answered.

Rollo carefully cupped his hand over the hand which held the butterfly. There was no form of escape for the butterfly now. Rollo left a small opening, smaller than the butterfly, between his thumb and palm. He brought the hole closer to his lips and closed his eyes. He whispered an enchantment in strange words that obviously weren't English. They weren't any language of the known Earth as a matter of fact. They were words of the magic kind. They were words that held true power. Never before have these words been spoken by Rollo, though. He knew them well, but this was his first time using the spell. Previously, he didn't understand when this spell would ever be handy. He was glad he didn't forget it.

After Rollo spoke the unknown words, he finally said in English "I grant you a new life."

He removed his hand that cupped the hand that held the butterfly. Instead of a butterfly, something else took it's place. It rose as Rollo removed his hand. The butterfly was now humanoid. It was obviously feminine. She had snow white skin without the flaws of anything else on it. Her hair was long enough to each her shoulders, but that's as far as it went. Her hair was a bright blue color, the color of the wings of the butterfly. Her clothing was all one piece and it was skin tight. The clothing material stretched down to her ankle and wrists. Her feet were bare, and so were her hands. On her back were wings the size of her body. The wings were exactly like the butterfly wings she once had, but bigger. In all, she stood about six inches tall, not very big enough to be menacing to anyone.

Her eyes were closed, but after a second, they shot open quickly. Her eye pupils were very large, almost taking up all of the eye, leaving a small white part at the sides. They were blue like everything else was on her body.

She then stretched her arms wide and arched her back, closing her eyes in the process. She opened her mouth wide as if yawning but no sound came out. After she was done silently stretching and yawning, her arms swung back down to her sides and she looked around at the people in front of her, studying each one carefully. She could remember the way these people acted when she was in her butterfly form. Elsa was worried, Anna was optimistic, Kristoff was tough, and Olaf was happy going. She got these people figured out without even getting to know them well.

The fairy then raised her hand and waved at them as a greeting. She knew that a handshake wouldn't be the best way to greet them because she was a thousand times smaller than them.

"Hello." Anna said, waving with her fingers. Kristoff crossed his arms and politely nodded at the fairy, another way to greet someone. Elsa smiled and mouthed the word "Hi", silently. Olaf raised his stick arm up and waved.

"Since when could you do that?" Kristoff asked, admiring the fairy. He had no idea how a butterfly could create a fairy in the blink of an eye. Surely the fairy was just getting used to her new humanoid form.

"A few seconds ago." Rollo said. "That's the first time I ever attempted it. Thank rocks that I didn't mess up the enchantment."

"What happens if you did mess up?" Anna asked.

"Well," Rollo answered, "I could've accidentally created a tentacle monster which could very much consume all living things."

"Is that a joke?" Anna asked.

"Yes." Rollo admitted. "Honestly, I don't know what would happen if I messed up. Just be thankful that I didn't."

The fairy turned her head towards Rollo, who was right behind her, still holding her in his hand. She nodded at him with pursed lips as if acknowledging or thanking the fact that he didn't mess up.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Elsa asked, smiling. She was charmed by this magnificent creature she didn't know existed. The fairy was definitely elegant and beautiful in it's own way.

The fairy turned towards Elsa and shook her head, confirming the fact that she was mute. Either she didn't know how to speak or she physically couldn't speak. At least her hearing and comprehension was perfect.

"Why can't she speak?" Anna asked Rollo.

"Not sure." Rollo answered. "She used to be a butterfly, and butterflies don't speak. She just physically doesn't have the skill yet."

"Yet?" Anna asked.

"Give it time," Rollo said, "and she might be able to say a few words. Might."

"Does she have a name?" Olaf asked.

"Hm." Rollo said. "I really haven't thought about that. Is there anything specific you'd like us to call you?"

The fairy turned to face Rollo and shrugged. She couldn't care less what her name was as long as it wasn't something silly or vulgar. She knew these people were nice enough not to give her a mean name. Besides, even if she had something in mind, she wouldn't be able to say it since she physically couldn't. She also had a feeling that they would get nowhere in determining her desired name if she used hand motions. With that in mind, she just let the others decide what to call her. She prayed silently that it wouldn't be something like "Butterfly".

"Flutter?" Anna suggested. She was a butterfly before she was a fairy, and butterflies fluttered around with their wings. Anna had a feeling that the fairy would flutter around a lot with her new ones. Instead of nodding, the fairy closed her eyes and shook her head in disappointment. She obviously wanted another name.

"Fly?" Kristoff suggested. He wasn't the best at coming up with names, especially for a fairy who was a complete stranger to him. He thought the fairy wanted something short and cool for a name. Fly fit that description. Once again, though, she closed her eyes and shook her head, sticking her tongue out this time. Kristoff was not offended at all. It was most likely that she wouldn't like that name. Fly fit more as a boy's name anyway.

"Flow?" Elsa suggested. The name was short and sweet, just like the fairy. Elsa hoped that she would like it, but the fairy just tilted her head for a second as if thinking about whether or not to choose that name. Soon, she shook her head one more time, thinking that Flow fit more for an older fairy rather than a newborn one.

"What about Bloom?" Olaf asked.

The word Bloom echoed in the fairy's ear, and she instantly loved it. Rapidly, she nodded her head, satisfied with the name. She bloomed from a butterfly and was given new life. Bloom was something new and was always associated with something pretty and colorful. She loved it immensely.

"All right." Rollo said. "Bloom it is."

Bloom then flew off of Rollo's hand as fast as her wings would allow her to move. She flew towards Olaf in a blur and stood on top of the tip of his carrot nose. She gave him two thumbs up and a large smile. She then politely nodded at him as a form of thanks, and with that, flew off of his nose and into the air. Bloom's wings allowed her to float in the air in between all of her new friends. She was happy to be free from the limited form of a butterfly. She knew that she never wanted to go back to what she was before again.

"Isn't she cute?" Anna asked.

"Indeed." Elsa agreed.

"Yes." Rollo said. "But, back to business. Bloom!"

The fairy turned to his direction and straightened her back. She put on a rugged, serious face a soldier might possess when speaking to his superior. She saluted Rollo and kept her arm there.

"Our friends here need your help." Rollo said. "You know the way to Mount Caelum, yes?"

Bloom nodded quickly.

"They need to find a man by the name of Arthar, there." Rollo said. "Do you know who this is?"

Bloom shook her head. She had never seen anyone named Arthar before. But, she hasn't explored all of the area around Mount Caelum either. It was possible he had made his home somewhere she had never bothered to look such as the mountain itself.

"That's quite alright." Rollo said, assuring her that it was okay for her not to know a certain, although vital, piece of information. "That just adds an extra step to your journey. Bloom, I need you to guide these group of nice people to Mount Caelum. Can you do that for me?"

Bloom nodded again. She was fairly confident that she could get this job done in no time flat. How hard could it be? She didn't remember any obstacles on her mindless journey to the Valley of the Living Rock. It sounded like a piece of cake to her. What could go wrong?

"Well, Elsa," Rollo said, "looks like you have your guide."

"You have my everlasting gratitude." Elsa thanked. Her smile then faded. A thank you wasn't enough to make even what has happened. Even after their father figure was killed, they still were determined to help however way they can. Elsa just said thank you. She knew that she could never repay the favors given to them by the trolls. She owed the trolls so much, even her life. She felt selfish and unfair for taking and not giving back. She knew that the trolls would never ask for anything back, nor would they accept any material gifts. All she could do was make sure life for them will be easy. After what happened earlier that night, it was the least she could do.

"I promise, Rollo," Elsa said, "I'm going to make things right."

"I do not doubt that." Rollo said. "The night is still young. Best you leave now so that you won't give anyone the luxury of day to track you down. You'll need a head start."

"Of course." Elsa said.

"Can we go home, first?" Anna requested. "I need to say goodbye to Lena. In case... In case we're not coming back."

* * *

Kai jumped through the portal and entered the same old temple-like structure he was in when he woke up. The first thing he saw was Deren sitting on the large stone table, looking as bored as he could ever be. He had his sword in his hand and a piece of cloth in the other. It was obvious that he was polishing his blade. Kai couldn't remember a time when Deren used his sword, so whatever he was polishing his sword from was questionable.

As the portal closed behind him, Kai could hear the footsteps of someone walking with high heels from behind him. The footsteps echoed throughout the entire dark structure, like most small noises. Kai turned around to face Mara who had a rather smug look on her face.

Quickly, the smile faded as fast as it came across her mouth. She was going to ask if Kai did it, but, seeing that Kai was empty handed, she knew that the mission was a fail. She wanted so badly to just strike Kai down where he stood. What use was he to her if he couldn't complete his first task? She had half a mind to shatter the crystal ball that contained Kai's memories. Surely, Elsa knew of Kai's darker nature, and she surely knew that he had forgotten all of his memories. That would mean that they would be more aware and watch their backs.

Deren looked at the back of Kai's head and saw something that wasn't there before. There was a white streak of hair in the back, impossible to miss. He recognized the streaks of white hair. Both he and Kai got them when Elsa accidentally froze their hearts. Deren just hoped that Kai's heart wasn't frozen. That would mean he wouldn't have the pleasure of killing Kai himself.

"What happened?" Mara demanded, walking more friskily than she ever did before.

"I'll ask the questions first, thank you!" Kai said. "That girl, the princess, kept saying that she knew me and I knew her. They were awfully surprised by my appearance. Why?"

"I told you," Mara said, "they're masters of deceit. They'll say whatever they can to save their own skin."

"People don't just keep playing along with a lie before death." Kai said.

"What would you know of people?" Mara asked, angrily. She wanted to talk on and on about how people always mistreated her those many years ago. But, she considered the fact that she may accidentally give away her true nature if she did. She calmed herself down to continue to talk to Kai. "If I recall," Mara continued, "you lost your memories. Remember, I can get them back. At this rate, though, you'll never get them back. So watch you mouth."

"You can help me, yes." Kai agreed. "But let's not forget you wanted me to help you. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. It doesn't seem that I need to take orders from you. We're people who need each other to achieve certain goals. That's it."

Mara closed her eyes and sighed. Kai was being rather difficult to handle. It would be better for both hers and Deren's conscious to just kill Kai right then and there, but it was better for her interests to keep him alive for the moment. There was a possibility that not all hope was lost for her. When suffering a failure, try again.

Mara sighed. "Very well." Mara said. "They'll do whatever they can to keep themselves alive even to the death. They're cowards that way; not being able to accept their inevitable fate. Now, I ask again; What happened?"

Kai told his story to them exactly the way he remembered it. He explained how he chased Anna throughout the castle until he finally got her in a choke hold. Then, he said he felt something cold in the back of his head before he blacked out. He told them how he woke up in a cave with an old humanoid rock next to him. After failing to get answers, he killed the rock with his bare hands. He then told them how he saw Elsa and her friends run towards him but he used the pearl to escape.

"She was right in front of you," Mara said, "and you let her go?!"

"I didn't let her go." Kai said. "I had to retreat. There were too many of them."

"I know your combat prowess, Kai." Mara said. "You easily could have taken them on."

"I don't know how Elsa fights." Kai countered. "I might have been in more than I bargained for. Besides, I couldn't risk anyone entering the portal with me. I did what I thought was best."

"And for that you ruined the fact that you were anonymous." Mara said.

"Hey!" Kai said. "If the way I handle things bothers you, why don't you get off your ass, go out there and do it yourself."

Mara's fist clenched and her grip around her staff tightened. Just one spell could take him out right then and there. Kai knew that Mara was tempted to because the little green wispy flame on top of the black staff become larger and more violent. He placed his hand over the hilt of his sword in case anything went wrong in the next few seconds. He was prepared for anything, including taking Mara on. He would not allow himself to be bullied by anyone, even Mara. He didn't care if attacking her in self defense meant breaking their deal. He would find another way to get what is rightfully his.

Mara's green flame died down and so did she. She steadied and calmed herself once again, sick and tired of arguing and going back and forth with Kai. She had no doubt about it that Kai would break their deal in a moment's notice. If so, she would still get Elsa by using Deren who was for sure to have less sympathy if any at all. She did understand, though, that it would be better for her to keep Kai as her ally. He was a powerful asset whom only an idiot would waste. Mara did not consider herself an idiot.

"I'll give you a second chance." Mara says. "If you don't succeed this time, our deal is broken and you'll have to find another way to get back your memories."

Kai's hand slowly lifted away from his sword. He too calmed down.

"Fair enough." Kai said. "Any idea where to start."

"No doubt about it that they'll return to Arendelle." Mara answered. "They have no where else to go, anyway. Where else can they? Only, I'm sure that the security over there has been increased immensely. It won't be as easy as last time."

"Doesn't matter if it's easy or not." Kai said. "I'll find a way."

Mara reached into her black cloak and pulled something out. It was another black portal pearl which she seemed to have an infinite supply of. She handed it to Kai, careful not to drop the incredibly fragile object. Kai took it and put it into his pocket so he would have an idea where it is. He was about to ask Mara for more, but then he realized that she wasn't going to give him anymore, even if he asked. The next time she saw him, she wanted to see an unconscious queen in his arms. She couldn't allow him to make a bunch of random trips in and out of the temple. He had one pearl for one travel. That was his minimum and maximum.

"I remember the way to Arendelle." Kai told Mara. "I don't need a babysitter." He looked over at Deren for a quick glimpse and then back at Mara. "Next time I'm here, I expect for you to help me get my memories."

"Next time you're here," Mara repeated, "I expect you to bring royalty."

Kai nodded at Mara, understanding the terms, rewards, and consequences for their deal. He turned around toward the large staircase and began to walk away from Mara and Deren. As he walked, Mara just kept looking at him, leaning onto her staff. Kai had a feeling that she was still watching, but he didn't bother showing anything that hinted to his knowing of it. He just took it as one phrase: Don't try anything funny. Soon, Kai exited the temple when he walked through the doorway that led up to another set of stairs.

Deren sheathed his sword and slid off of the table. He then made his way towards Mara until he was standing next to each other. They weren't facing each other, but they began to engage in a conversation.

"If we give them time," Deren said, "they might be able to convince Kai of who he really is."

"We won't be giving them time." Mara assured him. "Kai especially won't. He has the do first and ask questions later mentality. He'll be too busy trying to subdue Elsa he won't even take her words into mind."

"You seem really confident about that." Deren said. "I'll be rolling on the ground laughing when this idea of yours blows up in your face."

It was obvious that he didn't trust Kai to get the job done correctly, nor did he trust that Kai wouldn't remember everything on his own or with the help of the others. If they lost Kai as an asset, they'll be thrown a few steps back. If he did begin to remember, what's to stop him from telling the others about Mara? They'll do whatever they can to stop Mara, and she'll be powerless to stop them. One of the greatest things she had in the upper hand was that she was anonymous. They had to keep it that way or else they would lose undoubtedly.

"You lack faith in Kai?" Mara asked.

"Of course." Deren revealed. "Don't lie and say you don't."

"Perhaps you're right." Mara said.

"Kai might regain his memories even without you." Deren said.

"No possible way." Mara said. "He did not forget them. I took them. They're mine now. You can't regain what has been taken from another."

"But there's still a possibility they will talk him down into their side." Deren said. "What then?"

"What are you suggesting, Deren?" Mara asked, sick and tired of going back and forth once again and wanting to just get to the point. Deren would not engage in a conversation if there was no point to it.

"I can be your insurance." Deren said. "I'll stick to the shadows and make sure that Kai will go through with the plan."

"Let's say you catch Kai failing in the act of kidnapping Elsa by remembering who she is to him." Mara said. "What then?"

"Then I'll have to take both of them in, assuming you give me another pearl." Deren answered. "I imagine I'll be able to bring them both in. I'll kill the others."

"No." Mara said. "I have another idea. I'd rather them be alive to witness the sky of shadows. I want them to know that I beat them and that they can do nothing to stop it. Then, they will die."

"As you wish." Deren said. "I'm not promising to take the non essential people in, though."

"Very well." Mara said. "Follow him."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. This one was up a bit earlier than I originally thought it was going to be. That's not a bad thing, I hope. Anyway, I'll try to manage one more chapter after this one before I go on Christmas vacation. I'll be taking a break from writing during vacation. I don't know exactly when the next action chapter will be as this story will have less frequent fight scenes but more chase scenes and things as such. I promise that the climax of the story will be the most epic, intense, longest, and action packed chapter(s) I have ever written! Just stick with me to the end for the fantastic parts.

Making Bloom was really unique for me. She was probably the first non-human original character I have ever written. The way she acts will be very different compared to how others act. I hope you guys enjoy her in the story.

**QOTD: Deren. Do you hate him? Do you love him? Do you hate to love him? Or do you love to hate him? What do you think of him? **

Ciao.


	19. Another Day, Another Journey

**Another Day, Another Journey**

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Anna didn't want to say goodbye. She seemed to do that a lot. Many times has she found herself voluntarily leaving the comforts of the home she loves dearly, and leaving her old life behind to embark on a crazy adventure which the odds of survival may be slim. The first time, she literally died when she came back, although it worked out for her in the end. The second time she left home was when she was kidnapped by the Bandits who had no other choice but to take her rather than Elsa. The third time was when she left home, disobeying Elsa's orders, and looked for the kidnapped royalties in order to save her kingdom from it's imminent doom. Her life wasn't normal, that was for sure.

As they traveled through the forest, heading towards Mount Caelum, Anna couldn't help but remember the last exchange she had with her beloved daughter, Lena. The baby had no idea exactly what was happening nor did she have a clue on what Anna, Kristoff, Elsa, Sven, and Olaf were up to. Anna could remember the tears which lightly trickled down her cheeks when she had to say goodbye to Lena.

"Mommy has to go away for a bit, okay?" Anna told her. "Be a good girl while I'm gone and please don't be a hassle to the servants. They're going to take good care of you, honey. I love you."

After saying that, Anna kissed her daughter's forehead to which the baby giggled because it must've tickled her. Afterwords, Kristoff did a similar goodbye but hugged the baby tightly instead of kissing her. Elsa was too busy instructing the servants and guards on what to do while they were gone. They were told to also put up papers around the town so that the civilians would know about the absence of the royalty for a few days.

The guards had offered to accompany and escort Elsa on her mission, which would have been very wise to accept. Unfortunately, she declined their offer, but not without good reason. She figured that what she and her family was doing was a very personally matter and should be completed by those who loved Kai the most. Also, they were using Kristoff's sled as their main mode of transportation, and there was no way Sven could carry more than three people, not including Olaf.

They were able to change their clothes as well. They figured that it would be best for them to have a new, fresh, clean pair of clothes for the trip. They had to wear clothes that they thought would be comfortable for them during the journey.

Elsa's clothes were similar to the one she did during her coronation. This time, however, the color scheme was all blue. Her leggings and sleeves were a dark, navy blue. Her long skirt, which went down to above her knees instead of to her ankles, was a regular blue just like the color of her upper body clothes. She wore boots which had very small heels, probably not the best thing to wear during a journey, but it was all she had. Her cape was a blue that matched the upper part of her dress and it went down to her calves rather than it being incredibly long. Her hair was completely undone and unbraided. It was straight, but it swept down over her left shoulder like it usually did.

Anna wore a variation the old winter dress which she wore during many occasions like the one where she looked for Elsa. The light green sleeves were tight, rather than loose like they usually were. She wore leggings that matched that color as well. She fashioned a hood which was a separate piece of clothing from her dress. It was dark green and went down to her lower back. She could snap the hood on and off as she pleased.

Kristoff wore cotton grey pants that went down to his knees. He wore large boots, big enough to fit his feet, and it overlapped part of his pants. His top was the same grey but it had buttons running from the bottom to the top of the jacket. The sleeves stopped halfway between his wrists and elbows.

After they packed some food such as fruits and pastries which Anna kept with her in her satchel, they were off as soon as possible. At first, Sven pulled the sled as hard as he could in his fastest possible speed. Anna sat in the middle, Kristoff to her right, and Elsa to her left. Olaf sat on top of Sven, and Bloom the fairy sat on Anna's lap, trying her best not to be blown away. All of that weight could only be pulled for so long. Sven soon broke into more of a reindeer jog than sprint.

Every so often, they would stop for a little more then ten minutes up to half an hour for Sven to rest.

Bloom really didn't need to lead them for a while until they got to the North Mountain. The way to that mountain was in Kristoff's knowledge. Since they only an hour or two after their encounter with the trolls, they were able to make it to the North Mountain in no time even if they needed to give Sven a few breaks. It was roughly mid-day when they finally got to the North Mountain.

Elsa requested that they would pass by her old ice palace before they left the Mountain Completely. It has been about four years for her since she last saw it. She remembered how she was involuntarily taken from this palace in which she called home by Hans, some of Weselton's thugs, and her own castle guards. She somewhat missed the old place. Although it was very lonely over there, the peace and serene surrounding is what she loved most about it.

She was disappointed when she saw that the castle was no longer there. She stood at the top of a hill which was now deprived from snow as winter had yet to fall. However, since the ice she made the castle with couldn't be melted by the sun, shards of ice from the remains of her castle were scattered everywhere on the hill. There was no longer a stairway over the abyss below as well. Every trace of her once beautiful palace was now nothing but shards of ice.

"What happened here?" Elsa asked.

"It was fine the last time I saw it." Anna said.

"Yeah it was." Kristoff agreed. "I was with her. Kai must've done this."

"How could Kai possibly do this much damage?" Elsa asked.

She wasn't there. The palace suffered many cracks from nails which weren't meant for those walls. Marshmallow's battle with Kai also damaged the palace significantly. Although Marshmallow didn't make it out of his fight because of Cade, the palace still took enough damage for it to topple over. That's exactly what it did.

When Elsa placed her foot forward to just change her standing position, she felt something crack beneath her foot. She thought that it was the rock of the mountain giving away, but it turned out that she had just stepped on a shard of ice. The small sliver of the remains of her castle lay in multiple small pieces beneath her.

Anna looked over at Elsa. She could see the uncomforted face on her sister. She was clearly upset, but she was upset many times. Was it perhaps that the beautiful palace she worked hard on was destroyed and reduced to nothing but tiny shards? Or was it because she was thinking of Kai? She didn't seem to be able to be rid of Kai from her thoughts. How could she? He was out there somewhere with no idea who he is or what he has done. By taking away his memories, everything he was was taken away as well.

"Elsa?" Anna asked. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Elsa said, snapping herself back into reality. The reality where she had family waiting on her. A reality where her thoughts were insignificant.

"Yeah." Elsa repeated. "It's just... So fragile."

"What is?" Anna asked.

"Everything." Elsa answered. "The palace was built so that it would endure so much. Now look at it. The same goes with Kai. After everything he's done, after everything's he's been through, it was all shattered just like that. Why can't everything just last forever for once? Why does everything need to break down? Why can't we love something without the fear of it going away?"

Elsa was not on the verge of tears, though. She was done crying. She knew that expressing any form of sadness would not help anyone at all. It wouldn't even make her feel better. She was all out of tears. She was done being weak in front of other people. She had to be what Kai taught her to be. She had to be tough. She had to be able to protect others at the cost of her own personal losses. She had to save Kai and give back what was his. She owed him that much. Even after everything the two have been through together, she still owed him so much.

Kristoff walked up to Elsa and did the most unexpected thing. He gently put his hand over her shoulder. The two have had their differences for the last day or two, and physical contact with each other was not their priority. But, he could feel the pain her words. He knew that she was suffering inside, even if she wasn't showing it. She was still his family, in law or not.

"Better not dwell on the past." Kristoff said. "We can't change what has happened. We try to change our futures into brighter ones by acting in the present. We can't let our past determine a present and future we don't want."

"Isn't that what we're doing?" Elsa asked. "We're trying to fix something that happened in the past, right? Hate to say this Kristoff, but you're wrong. Our past is what defines us. Kai doesn't have a past anymore. It was taken from him, as Pabbie said. So, tell me, what defines him right now?"

Kristoff knew where Elsa was taking this conversation. He tried to comfort her but she did what she could to change the tides and turn the conversation around to something he didn't want to talk about.

Kristoff frowned. "The present." He answered.

"Correct." Elsa said, distantly. "Presently, he's an amnesiac madman who knows nothing of anything. What do you think he is now?"

"A monster." Kristoff answered. "A rapid animal let loose with no leash." He didn't want to be ignorant in front of Elsa. He knew she was right. Kai was dead or at least deprived from life. Whatever he was now could not stay.

"Yes." Elsa confirmed. "Kai can't be defined by what he has done if he doesn't know it. Even if we know it, he won't accept it. He won't let the good in his past inspire good in his future. That's why we need to get him his memory back. We need to have him defined by good again."

"Then what're we waiting for?" Kristoff asked, smirking.

Their little visit to Elsa's destroyed palace was over at that point. Kristoff tied Sven back to the sled. Bloom stood on top of one of Sven's antlers, waiting for the others to take their place so they could go. It was about her turn to lead the others. Past the North Mountain was unknown territory, alien to Kristoff and the others. Only Bloom knew the way.

As Elsa walked to the sled, Anna called her out from behind. Elsa turned her head to face her sister.

"Elsa," Anna said, "you said that Kai was a rapid animal let loose with no leash. Who let him loose?"

"I don't know." Elsa answered. "But I intend to find out."

* * *

Kai had no idea why everyone in town was crowding around the plaza of the castle. He was able to see that one man, obviously a guard as he wore a green cloak which was significantly worn by every guard. He stood on top of what looked like a platform to Kai from afar. He was actually standing on top of a large box which could support his weight without breaking.

Kai could hear the chatter among the crowds as the guard began his speech. Kai had half a mind to step in and join the crowd but something in his mind stopped him. His attack in the Arendelle Castle wasn't necessarily subtle. He made a large mess in the castle as a matter of fact. No doubt about it was he currently infamous to the city. He was fairly certain that one or two of the citizens might know his face. He needed to keep his cover.

Kai looked around and found a nearby building which had physical features which popped out the side of the wall such as windows, loose bricks, and holes wood. He instantly ran to it and began to climb swiftly. He didn't fear falling at all. To him, it felt like he had been climbing for his entire life. He couldn't explain where that feeling came from, but it was there. He had to get his memory back. He had to remember.

He walked to the edge of the building, standing on top of the overhang. He then kneeled down on one knee and focused all of his attention on the guard. From above, he could see that the guard was holding a piece of paper in his hand. Kai had no way of reading it from all the way up where he was.

"Good citizens of Arendelle!" The guard announced. "To quell any suspicions or rumors about our Queen Elsa and Princess Anna and their current activities, they have instructed us to reveal their current whereabouts."

"You mean they're not hear?" Asked one civilian from the crowd.

"I'm afraid not." The guard said.

Damn, Kai thought. He had no idea where to look at the moment. Arendelle was his best bet at finding Elsa. He thought it would be easy to track her down and take her in. He imagined how things would go down in his mind. Now, he had to start from square one in finding the queen. Then, he remembered that the guard mentioned something about revealing their whereabouts. He had to pay close attention to this now. It was his last chance, and he wasn't willing to ruin it.

"The good Queen, her sister, the Princess, and her husband, the Royal Ice Master have all left for Mount Caelum." The guard announced. "The specific details and why have not been shared, but all we know is that it is regarding a personal matter. This leave of absence should not affect the land or it's government in any way, so fret not. They have given their word that they should return in no time."

"Then who's in charge?" Asked another citizen.

"Currently, no one." The guard answered. "It does not seem that any executive decisions would be made which would require the word of royalty, so don't worry. Just go about with your daily lives. Dismissed!"

Kai could spot small papers around the plaza below him, each with roughly the same pattern of large words. Their absence was being noted all throughout the city. In case he ever forgot where they were going, he could simply glance at one of the papers and find out by himself.

He climbed down the building and landed flawlessly on his feet. Remembering to keep anonymous, he pulled up his hood, covering his eyes under shadow. He was still able to see perfectly though.

Right, Kai thought to himself. I need to find where this Mount Caelum is, and I need a means to get there.

It didn't take long for Kai to find a store inside the city which had exactly what he was looking for. Inside a book store, they sold countless maps which were both updated and outdated. Surely he could find a map which would give him the route from Arendelle to Mount Caelum.

He looked through many papers in scroll form for a while until he found a map marked with Mount Caelum on a piece of paper that was connected to the outside of the scroll. Kai instantly grabbed it and opened it up. Sure enough, there was a long red line starting from Arendelle on the bottom of the map to a drawn mountain labeled Mount Caelum at the top of it. At the halfway point was a mountain labeled The North Mountain. Around the red line were drawn marks such as a bridge, large rocks, and specially shaped trees.

"Let's hope I don't lose my way." Kai said to himself.

He had no reason to stay any longer. If they were headed to Mount Caelum, so was he. Instead of buying the map like he was supposed to, he folded it into a small square and put it in his pocket. He had to look around twice to make sure no one was looking at him. He was lucky that no attention was being paid on him. He rushed out of the shop and pulled up his hood on the way out.

Conveniently, Kai spotted a man in rather fancy clothing on top of a golden colored horse. That was his ticket to the mountain.

Kai approached the horseman, passing a few civilians and pushing some of them to the side. When Kai got to him, Kai grabbed the man's forearm and squeezed. The man looked down and gave Kai an annoyed look.

"What do you want?" The man asked. He recognized Kai from somewhere, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It must've been a long time since he had seen Kai's face. Those eyes were a color which did not belong to anyone else besides Kai.

"I need you horse." Kai said.

"Piss off." The man told Kai.

"I wasn't asking." Kai said.

Kai then grabbed the man and pulled him off of the horse with all of the strength he could muster. The man toppled down onto the ground, and rolled a few feet away from his horse and Kai. Civilians in the street gasped in shock as they witnessed Kai hijack the noblemen from his horse. Kai ignored them, though. Why would he care what they thought of him? Their lives and opinions were worthless to Kai. It wasn't like he ever had to apologize to these people, anyways.

With a map and a horse, Kai rode out of the city and to the mountain.

* * *

Kristoff was starting to wish that they had brought some blankets and pillows with them. The one thing they didn't think about was resting comfortably at night. Being royalty, comfort was a pleasure and privilege they all learned to enjoy immensely. They weren't used to sleeping anywhere else besides a warm, comfy bed. Call them spoiled, but it was true. Sleeping out in the wilderness was incredibly uncomfortable and was not preferred over a castle.

The night sky was covering them. The full moon shined brightly upon the tiny clearing in the forest where they decided to call it a day and sleep. Since they didn't bring anything that resembled a sleeping bag, the closest thing they had to comfort was Kristoff's sled. He initially called dibs on the seats, but seeing as though he was a great "gentleman", he let the sisters crash on it instead of him. Instead, he leaned his head and back on top of Sven who was curled up on the ground. Kristoff's beanie was covering his face in hopes of no distractions while he slept.

Olaf, even though he was a snowman, did his best to try to sleep. He just stood there in the clearing, standing but with his eyes closed. He was perfectly still, showing no movement. Bloom curled up on top of a branch that hanged low on a nearby tree.

Elsa and Anna both had trouble sleeping. The two sat inside Kristoff's sled, both of with their feet resting on top of the wooden hood of the sled; something Kristoff hated. They both had their heads facing towards the sky, admiring the stars.

"Remember when we used to do this as kids, Elsa?" Anna asked, remembering the fun they had prior to Elsa shutting herself out.

"Yeah." Elsa answered. "Except back then, it was just us. Who'd have thought seventeen years later we would still be doing the same thing?"

"I honestly thought we were never going to do something like this again." Anna said. "Too bad the circumstances suck."

"Psh." Elsa said. "What's wrong with the circumstances? We're off to an unknown land in hopes of finding a socially deprived and exiled old troll who may or may not be there, much less alive. Also, we probably have Kai who's currently under some sort of spell which makes him incredibly violent and ruthless. The circumstances could be worse."

"How?" Anna asked.

"We could have have to go all the way there on foot." Elsa answered. "Consider ourselves lucky."

Anna found herself shivering. She rubbed her shoulders and arms in attempts to try to warm herself. She turned her green cape so that it was covering her body and so that it was acting like a blanket. Even then, she was cold.

Anna looked over at Elsa to find her not even moving a bit because of the cold. That's right, Anna thought. Elsa wasn't bothered by cold temperatures. Neither was she bothered by high temperatures because she always managed to cool herself down somehow.

"Lucky you." Anna said. "You don't even need a blanket."

"Being able to manipulate ice has its perks." Elsa agreed.

Before Elsa could say another word, something caught her scent. It was an incredibly pleasant aroma which was easy to miss as it was so faint. Still, Elsa was able to spot it. It seemed to be coming from Anna's satchel which was laying on the bottom of the sled.

"What's in the satchel?" Elsa asked.

Anna's eyes widened, believing Elsa was onto her. "Nothing." Anna said quickly. "Only bread and fruits remember?"

"Then what's that smell?" Elsa asked.

"Must be the bread." Anna lied.

"No," Elsa said, "bread doesn't taste like that. It's something else."

As Elsa reached down to grab the satchel, Anna swung her cape away from her body as quick as she could, freeing her arms. She leaned down, quicker than Elsa did, and snatched the satchel away from Elsa's grasp. She then hugged it tightly, next to her chest.

"Anna!" Elsa said. "What's wrong with you? What's in the bag?"

"Nothing." Anna lied. "Don't worry about it."

"You're making a huge effort to protect it from me." Elsa said. "I'm worry about it."

Elsa then grabbed a part of the satchel and tried to yank it away from Anna. Anna hugged it tighter, but it broke away from her hug and she had to resort to grabbing it and pulling it away from Elsa. The two fought each other over the satchel by pulling. Elsa was scared that if Anna didn't give up, the satchel would rip. Soon, Elsa had enough of struggling. Using her hand, she shot a blast of ice at Anna's lips and covered her mouth in ice. Anna, who was in shock, accidentally let go of the bag.

Elsa took the satchel away from Anna and opened it up. She saw nothing but bread and different fruits, but when she reached deeper inside, she pulled out something she did not expect. She pulled out a handful of chocolate.

"Anna!" Elsa said, angrily. "You brought chocolate and you didn't even tell me?"

Elsa saw that Anna was unable to speak because of her ice covered mouth. Elsa flicked her fingers, and the ice turned into tiny snowflakes which drifted downward, onto Anna's lap.

"Explain." Elsa demanded.

"Well," Anna told Elsa, "I'll be the first to admit that I have a chocolate problem. Once in a while, I just need to have some. If I told you, surely you'll want some for yourself, and then there will be less for me."

The two began to playfully bicker until they finally managed to fall asleep a few minutes later.

The easy part of their journey was over. Passing the North Mountain was child's play. The hard part had just begun.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter! Please review/comment! Hope you guys have a Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas (if you're not Christian/Catholic, I don't mean to offend).

Ciao.


	20. The Bridge

Author's Note: We're back! After about a week, the new chapter is finally here! My vacation is over so I'm back to writing.

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**The Bridge**

* * *

Bloom was leading them all morning. They all left their temporary camp site fairly early in the morning, just as the sun was rising and the sky was a dark blue. None of them were given the luxury of a good nights rest. It has been such a long time for any of them since they had slept anywhere else besides their nice, comfortable beds. They knew that it seemed so spoiled of them, but that could be excused because not everyone goes on a mission to find a magic rock who can literally extract darkness from someone.

The travel time seemed to be forever. Bloom was their trusted guide at that point. She flew incredibly fast for something that small. Butterflies didn't fly nearly as fast, but the magic Rollo used came with incredible enhancements, most of which were yet to be discovered if they were there. She knew she had to be careful where she was leading them. She couldn't risk leading them through paths unknown to her as they could contain unknown dangers. She just stuck with the same path she took to get from Mount Caelum to the Valley of the Living Rock.

Sven carried the sled behind him with Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa trying their best to keep themselves inside the sled. The road wasn't necessarily smooth as there was no snow to be found anywhere. Kristoff had put on wheels on the sled, and his wheels were old, strangely shaped, and could just fall apart at any time. Kristoff never bothered to replace them as he was simply too lazy even with Arendelle's virtually limitless resources.

So far, their journey wasn't as intense as their previous ones. They had no crazy or supernatural encounters with anyone. The closest thing they had to danger was a crazy badger who struck when Anna requested for a stop to go pee. It scared the heck out of them, but Elsa managed to put it in a block of ice. It was somewhat cruel of her, but the badger did attack first.

"I really thought this journey would have more excitement and explosions." Kristoff said.

"Yeah." Anna agreed. "It's getting kind of... Boring."

"Don't tell me you guys actually want those things?" Elsa asked. "I mean, this is something serious."

"I suppose." Anna said. "It's just that it'll look more cool."

"To whom?" Elsa asked. "You make it sound like someone is observing us and our endeavors, expecting excitement out of it. Who would want to do that?"

After that, they dropped the issue. Elsa had a feeling that Kristoff and Anna spoke too soon.

As Bloom slowed down in flight, so did Sven. They could see sunlight coming from an opening from trees a few hundred meters ahead. The forest trees managed to cover lots of the sunlight, only letting in a few rays. Whatever was ahead of them was thought to be a nice change of scenery.

Bloom wanted to remember exactly what was ahead of them. She didn't want to wait for the others to catch up to her. She thought it best to just scout ahead. Bloom then sped up and flew as fast as the speed of light. Unfortunately, she forgot to signal t Sven to stop running and wait there.

Bloom soon flew through the opening and found herself at the edge of a cliff. To her left and right, the trees were cleared and nothing but grass and a layer of fallen leaves occupied that empty space. In front of her was a large chasm which spread indefinitely from left to right. She had no idea when and where it would end. The chasm was about one hundred meters across, and three times that distance downward. Below, Bloom saw running water which ran to the left along with the chasm. The water filled the entire bottom area of the chasm. To her right, only a few yards away, was a wooden bridge. The bridge was the same type of wooden bridge one would find in a jungle made of planks and rope. The spacing between each flank was about five inches long. In no way did it look stable.

The other side of the chasm looked similar to the side in which Bloom was in. There was no clear pathway for the sled, though. No way would the sled be able to fit through that small space between the trees.

The sled!

Bloom could hear the rustle of fallen leaves from behind. The sound was very rapid. Sven was running fast. She couldn't let them speed up like that. If Sven didn't slow down before he exited the opening, then the sled and all of the others would fall off of the cliff and into the river for sure. She couldn't let that happen.

She sped back to the opening and found Sven speeding towards her. Bloom gave a worried look and held her hands out in front of her, signaling for Sven to slow down. Sven wasn't able to get it until the last second. Bloom was forced to fly out of the way as Sven stopped his feet. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to slow down fast enough. The momentum of the sled was already too fast. As Sven halted to a stop, the sled swung to his side with its back facing toward the cliff with the others still on it. The sled then began to back up towards the cliff quickly, with Sven doing his best to get off of it but unfortunately he was still tied.

Kristoff knew that it was too late to save the sled. In a matter of seconds, the sled would slide off of the cliff.

"Jump!" Kristoff exclaimed.

Olaf, who was sitting at the front of the sled, was the first to run off and jump. The others didn't have it so easy. As they got up, the butt of the sled was already hanging over the cliff. Kristoff was the first to get out of his seat and run up the front of the sled. As his feet climbed, he pulled out his knife. When Kristoff hopped of the front of the sled, he cut the ropes keeping Sven and the sled together.

"I'm right behind you." Elsa told Anna, volunteering to go second.

Anna nodded. She knew that Elsa was going to be alright. Elsa helped her sister up off of the seats and onto the hood of the sled. Anna ran off of the hood and hopped off of the sled completely with Kristoff supporting her fall. When Elsa tried to get up, more of the sled slid over the side, and the motion ruined Elsa's footing. About two thirds of the sled was completely off of the cliff. Elsa knew she had to hurry. She got up off of the seats once again and climbed onto the hood. The hood was getting incredibly slanted. Elsa started running up just as the sled slid off of the cliff.

"Elsa!" Anna exclaimed.

Elsa scrambled up the hood which was completely off of the cliff, falling down. Jumped off of the front of the sled and reached her hands up as there was no way she could grab the side of the cliff in midair. Fortunately, Kristoff was able to hang his arm over the side so Elsa could grab it. Elsa grabbed his hand, but her other hand was hanging at her side.

She was heavier than she looked. Kristoff struggled to pull Elsa up with only one arm. Everyone could see the strain in his face. Luckily, he managed to pull her up in time so that his arm didn't give away.

Elsa got up off of the ground and wiped her dress clean.

"Well," Elsa said, "that could've gone better."

"My sled..." Kristoff said, looking down the cliff in horror. The sled must've been destroyed when it crashed into the water because all Kristoff could see was broken off wood flowing down the river. "I might cry."

"Don't worry about it." Anna said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "When we get home, we'll get you a new and better one."

"With a cup holder?" Kristoff asked, hoping for that luxury.

"Two cup holders." Anna added.

"Looks like we're on foot from now on." Elsa said. "We can cross using that bridge."

After Kristoff was done mourning over his loss, he and the others walked over to the nearby wooden bridge which swung and swayed along with the wind. It looked like it would give away at any time. They had no idea how much weight it could support at the same time, but it was obvious that too much weight would not be good for it.

Kristoff knew that this couldn't be the only way across. He looked left and saw that the forest ran along the cliff for which seemed like forever. They must have to walk many miles before they find where the cliffs connected or where a larger body of water was. He looked to his right and saw the exact same thing. If they took the time to walk around, time would be wasted. The bridge was the quickest way, and perhaps the most dangerous.

"Is there any other way?" Elsa asked Bloom.

Bloom nodded, confirming Kristoff's assumptions. But, Bloom stretched her arms wide apart in front of her. The others knew exactly what that meant. The way around was incredibly long. That was a disappointment to all of them. None were ready to die because of a stupid bridge.

The fairy then put up one finger and showed it to everyone. She then pointed at the bridge.

"One at a time?" Anna guessed.

Bloom nodded.

"Why doesn't Elsa make an ice bridge over there?" Kristoff asked. "At least then it won't give away."

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Elsa said. "If you guys slip, then you earned a trip down into the river. Also, the winds are strong. One strong gust could push you off."

The ice bridge would have been more efficient, but Elsa had a point. She couldn't promise their safety if they crossed the bridge. At least they wouldn't fall off easily if they used the wooden bridge. Sure, the bridge could give away, but that won't happen as long as they all took careful steps and went one at a time.

"So," Olaf said, "who's going first."

"I will." Elsa volunteered. "I'll make sure it's safe for you guys."

"And if you fall?" Anna asked.

"Don't worry about me." Elsa said. "Just worry about how you're going to get across."

Before anyone else could object, Elsa carefully stepped onto the first plank of the bridge. She could hear it creak when her foot made contact. She half expected it to just break and fall into the river below, but nothing else happened. Elsa grabbed the ropes on each side with her hands for support. If the plank broke beneath her feet, then at least she would have something to support her. She then took another step onto another plank, and although it creaked, nothing else happened.

Slowly and carefully, Elsa made her way across the bridge. Happy thoughts, she thought to herself. Chances are that if she began to tremble and shake with fear, then the trip across the bridge would be much more difficult than it already was. Soon, she was safely across the bridge without messing up once.

"It's safe!" Elsa exclaimed to the others from her side of the bridge. "Just watch your step!"

Elsa hoped that she didn't wear out the bridge. It was still quite possible that the planks could break on anyone who crossed after Elsa. She hoped that they would be more careful than she was.

Before anyone could officially decide among themselves, Olaf merrily hopped onto the bridge and ran across carelessly. Elsa didn't know what was going on in his mind. Was he crazy? Then, she remembered that Olaf weighed almost nothing. He was incredibly light. Surely the bridge could support him. He must've known that too. He was smarter than anyone gave him credit for.

After Olaf crossed, Bloom casually flew across the gap next to the bridge quickly. It made the others wish that they had wings. Wings seemed to make the hardest tasks like child's play.

All that was left on the other side was Kristoff, Anna, and Sven.

"Who's next?" Anna asked.

"Sven should go." Kristoff suggested. "That way, we'll be watching him from both sides and tell him exactly what to do if necessary."

Anna nodded. She wasn't keen on crossing the bridge yet herself, anyway. She and Kristoff made way for Sven who reluctantly walked onto the bridge, he wanted to personally go last and watch the others, making sure they cross safely before he did. But, he knew that it would be no use arguing with them.

Sven's legs were shaking as he crossed. He wanted to make sure his steps were right and carefully done. If he were to slip, things would be over for him. He couldn't grab anything for support like humans could. That was one of the downsides to being a reindeer. Soon, Sven made it across without failing or completely breaking any plank. He did, however, recall one plank beginning to snap but he took his hoof off of that one quickly.

Anna was the next to go. Kristoff insisted. What good of a husband would he be if he looked after himself over his wife? She accepted his request and stepped onto the bridge. She then grabbed both ropes with her hands and slowly walked across. Her breathing slowed and got heavier. Her nervousness would be her downfall. She did her best to calm herself down and to not look down.

Just keep walking, Anna thought to herself.

After about a few careful steps, she got the hang of it and her confidence grew. But, when she was about halfway across the bridge, she felt her foot fall. The plank below her right foot snapped and it broke into two pieces. The pieces of plank then fell down into the river below. Anna's leg up to her calf fell through the newly made gap between planks in the bridge. She managed a squeak.

Elsa gasped, scared that Anna would fall clean through. Fortunately, Anna grabbed on tightly to one of the ropes that served as a handrail. She managed to prevent more of herself from falling through.

"I'm alright!" Anna said. "Just suffered a heart attack, that's all!"

The others managed a quick, light hearted laugh after Anna said that. Even after almost facing doom, Anna was able to keep a witty mind. It almost sounded like she didn't take it seriously. Either she was foolish or she was incredibly confident. Probably both.

"Careful!" Elsa said. "It's dangerous!"

"You don't say!" Anna exclaimed. "Besides, I laugh in the face of danger!"

"Famous last words..." Elsa whispered to herself.

As Anna took her leg up and out of the hole, she saw something green fly by the bridge. She turned her head to find another green wisp fly along the bridge. It wasn't a wisp, though. It was fire. Green fire. And that meant one thing.

Anna screamed. "Ah! Danger!"

Anna quickly darted her head behind her, facing away from her goal. There, she saw Kristoff, with his back turned and in a posture that only showed horror and surprise, standing next to the start of the bridge. Past him, she could see the silhouette of a figure on horseback. The hands of the rider were engulfed in green flames. Anna was too busy wondering to herself how this was happening and how could Kai get on their trail. Her surprise would have been her downfall if Elsa wasn't there to look out for her.

"Duck!" Elsa commanded.

Instantly, Anna fell flat on the wooden bridge. The green fireball that came from Kai flew past her head and across the wooden bridge. It hit a tree near the others, and if it wasn't for Elsa's icy powers that went onto the bark, the tree would've gone ablaze along with the forest. Usually, his fire was refined and didn't cause forest fires. They would diminish instantly if he wanted them to. But, it seemed that this fire couldn't care less what it did.

"Anna!" Kristoff said. "Run!"

Kristoff said that as Kai got off of his horse and approached Kristoff. Anna scrambled off of the ground and got on her feet. She had to get away from the other side as quickly as she could. She bolted towards the safe side of the bridge, or at least the side that was safer than the other side. As she ran, fireballs flew past her and the bridge, barely missing her. Although, she could feel one singe the clothes on her upper arm.

Anna turned her head to her right and patted the fire away and blew it as well. She forgot that she didn't have gloves or mittens on. Her hand felt an intense heat, but after she took out the fire, she could see that her hand didn't suffer anything major. It was slightly redder, but that was it.

Before she knew it, she crossed the bridge and was on the side with Sven, Elsa, Olaf, and Bloom. Elsa and the others made their way towards Anna in hopes of confirming her safety. They then glanced over at the other side of the bridge to find Kristoff being attacked by Kai.

Kai ran towards Kristoff right after he hopped off his horse. As he ran, he threw fireballs with both of his hands. His left hand was aimed at Kristoff while his right was aimed at Anna. He saw no need to be careful with those two. They were expendable. They weren't his targets. What reason did he have to show sympathy towards them. All he wanted was Elsa, and if he could make her angry enough by hurting her loved ones, she might just come to him.

Kristoff managed to dodge and sidestep most of Kai's fireballs. He could feel one or two of them singeing the clothes on the side of his body, but he didn't let that bother him.

When Kai was close enough, he jumped and lunged at Kristoff, unsheathing his dagger in the process. He tackled Kristoff and put one knee over Kristoff's gut, and the other on the ground next to him. Kai raised his dagger with one arm and jabbed the point down towards Kristoff's throat. Kristoff could hear Anna's scream from the other cliff. He wasn't going to leave his wife that easily. Especially not by the hands of an old friend.

Kristoff grabbed Kai's forearm with both of his hands which Kai left free. Kai struggled to push the tip of the dagger down to Kristoff's neck, and Kristoff worked an opposite force. The one thing Kristoff hand in his advantage was strength. His physical brawn was almost three times that of Kai. Kai had skills and speed, but Kristoff always had strength. It didn't take long for Kristoff to push Kai's arm away from his body and while Kai was staggered, Kristoff threw Kai off of him.

Kristoff didn't hesitate to jump off of the ground while Kai got his senses together. Kristoff sprinted towards the bridge as fast as his feet would allow. But, only after two or three steps, Kai got off of the ground as well. He then bolted after Kristoff at a speed which was just as great.

By the time Kristoff got a few planks on the bridge, Kai got to the start of it. He was about to sprint after Kristoff, but something else came into his mind. He didn't like the odds of him running across the bridge safely without Elsa making things difficult for him.

There were two skinny but long pieces of wood sticking out of the ground in front of Kai. The ropes of the bridge, of course, were tied to those wood pieces. Two strands of rope were tied on each stick. The bottom two rope sticks ran across to the other side of the chasm, connected by the planks. The other two strands acted like the handrails of the bridge.

Without thinking, Kai unsheathed his sword and swung towards the ropes on his left. Immediately after, he cut the ones on his right. The bridge on his side began to fall and swing down with Kristoff already halfway across.

Kristoff could feel the bridge swinging down behind him. He knew that the bridge would soon just swing down and smack the stone of the cliff below where the others were. There, it would just hand down and look like a ladder. A ladder! Kristoff knew that he wouldn't be able to run to the other side on time. Something crazy came in his mind.

Hang on, he told himself.

Kristoff bent down and grabbed the edge of one plank around the middle of the bridge. He could feel the funny feeling one would get in their stomach when descending at an incredible speed. He saw the wall of the cliff coming towards him faster than he would have imagined. He braced himself for impact.

The bridge the side of the cliff with Kristoff still on it. He could hear the wood shake. He looked up above him to find broken pieces of planks falling down. Kristoff tucked his head in, closer to the wall, in order to avoid getting hit by the wood. Unfortunately, one piece hit his left hand. In pain, he let go of the plank he was holding onto until he was just hanging by one arm.

Very close to him, he heard something snap.

"That's not good." Kristoff said to himself.

He knew that the plank he was holding onto would not support his weight much longer. He climbed one plank up, and placed his feet on the edge of another plank like he would on a normal ladder. But, after he placed his feet there, he made the mistake of applying more pressure on it. The plank below him which held his feet broke and fell into the water below, forcing his legs to dangle below him.

"Jesus!" Kristoff exclaimed, quietly.

Then, next to his hand, a green fireball hit the rock of the cliff. Kristoff looked up behind him at the other cliff where he wrestled Kai.

"Give me a goddamn break!" Kristoff pleaded.

Kristoff saw a blast of ice make its way from his cliff side to Kai's cliff side. When it hit his shoulder, ice began to form around it, although at a limited rate. It only cover all of his shoulder and then stopped growing. Kai quickly melted it with the hand on his mobile arm.

"Climb!" Elsa's voice said to Kristoff.

Kristoff wasn't going to argue with her. He took his hand off of the plank it was originally on, which fell apart after he took his hand off. He carefully placed his feet different planks so that one plank wouldn't take that much pressure. He realized that he had been foolish to put both hands on one plank.

Plank after plank, Kristoff climbed the bridge like he would any ladder. Once, the plank Kristoff was going to put his hand on broke when he made contact, so he was forced to stretch his arm up towards another plank. Above him, he could see fire and ice shooting across the chasm. He just hoped one wouldn't misfire and head his way. That wouldn't be good for him at all.

When he was about a quarter away from his destination, he could hear the fireballs stop. Confused, he turned his head back towards the cliff Kai was on. Just in time, too. He saw Kai run off and jump off of the cliff. Kristoff would initially think he was crazy, but he knew some of Kai's tricks. Also, Kai was evil, but he wasn't insane.

In midair, Kai shot streams of fire from his hands and pointed them downwards. The streams emitted waves which reached his feet at well. He was hovering. No, he was gliding. Kristoff has seen Kai do this trick before, and he always cheered when he did it. Now, it wasn't as thrilling to look at because he was the target.

Kai glided down to a few planks which did not break below Kristoff.

"Get off my bridge!" Kristoff said. "Or ladder! Or whatever you call this now!"

Kai didn't listen. He lunged up towards Kristoff, skipping a few planks in the process. He was able to grab on to and hold Kristoff's ankle with both arms. Kristoff could feel the planks he was on begin to give away because his weight had just increase. Kai held onto nothing but Kristoff's ankle.

"If I fall," Kai said, "I'm not going down alone."

"Sorry, Kai." Kristoff said. "Normally, I wouldn't do this to you. But, until you get your head straight..."

Kristoff used his other leg to kick Kai in the head. Kristoff felt Kai's grip loosening until he finally let go. Kai's first instinct was to let go out of pain. Kristoff relied on that for his survival.

"Hasta la vista!" Kristoff said to Kai who was in the midst of falling into the river below.

Kristoff knew that Kai would survive. Kai survived so much more than a little dip into a river. He just hoped that it would take Kai a long time to find a way up the cliffs, because that would mean a huge distance advantage.

Once again, he felt the planks all around him start to shake. He asked himself why he bothered spending more than one second on every plank. Kristoff reached his hand to the plank above him, but that one broke and fell down. He had to move his shoulders to avoid getting hit by the wood. This happened to him before and he settled on doing the exact same thing he did last time.

But, as he reached and stretched his arm for the next plank, the planks his feet were resting on snapped. He could sense when he was about to fall. At the very last second, Kristoff used his feet to push himself off of the falling planks. He managed to grab onto the same plank which he was reaching for. Unfortunately for him, there was no plank in which his feet could rest on anymore. They were just dangling in the air. The weight made the plank Kristoff was holding onto snap as well. Fortunately, it snapped in half, and while one side fell down into the water, the other side stayed tied to the rope. Kristoff grabbed the tied side, making it the only thing keeping him from falling. Miraculously, the plank half did not fall even with all the weight put on it.

There were only a few planks left to climb before he got to the edge of the cliff. Kristoff scrambled up the wall, using his hands to grab onto fragile planks and using his feet to run in vain against the rock of the cliff. Soon, he made it to the edge of the cliff. Anna and Elsa both helped him up by each grabbing one of his arms.

They dragged Kristoff a few feet away from the cliff where he lay on his backside, panting with exhaustion. They could see the sweat trickle down his face. He didn't say a word, and he didn't have to. They all saw what just went down.

"That was a close one." Elsa said.

"Too close." Anna added. "You had me scared Kristoff!"

Anna then collapsed on the ground next to Kristoff, and slammed her fist against his chest. Kristoff tried his best to regain his breath as Anna had just knocked the wind out of him. Then, unexpectedly to him, Anna buried her face into Kristoff's shoulder, slightly sobbing out of worry. Kristoff put his arm around her and gently patted her by moving his wrist. The two lay on the rocky ground, comforted by each other and glad that they weren't dead.

"Don't ever do that to me again." Anna ordered.

"No promises." Kristoff said.

"He's right, Anna." Elsa said. "I hate to say this, but the road ahead won't be easy. Things like this could happen all the time. We can't be reckless like this anymore."

Anna took her head off of Kristoff's shoulder.

"Reckless?" Anna asked.

The tone in her voice showed slight anger. Elsa didn't want to lose Anna as a friend and sister. She didn't want to start anything negative. She didn't mean anything cold when she said that, but the way Anna perceived it was not the way Elsa would ever want her to perceive it as.

"I mean..." Elsa sighed and put her hand on her forehead. "We didn't see Kai coming. We should've known better than to doubt how good he is at tracking."

"He tracked Rapunzel and I fairly quickly." Anna recalled.

"We should be prepared at all times." Elsa said. "When he strikes, he won't be too kind."

"Well," Kristoff said, "at least we know he's on our tail. That saves time too. We won't have to search the bottom of every rock to find him after this Arthar tells us how to fix him or does it himself."

"Right." Elsa said. "He'll be at our heels. Let's just make sure he doesn't get to us before we get to the mountain."

"Yeah," Anna agreed, "we should get out of here... Before Kai finds away out of there."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, leave a review for the comeback of the story. This chapter was greatly inspired by a bunch of adventure movies and games. No QOTD this time.

Ciao.


	21. Danger Never Rests - Part I

**Danger Never Rests - Part I **

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They all thought that danger would give them a break for the day. After the entire incident at the bridge, they wondered how exactly things could get worse than it did.

Kristoff definitely took most of the impact of the bridge. There was no winning for him the entire time there. First, he lost his precious sled; one of the things he depended on most for his job. He easily could have retired early. All of the ice he collected could easily and more quickly be made by Elsa artificially. But, he kindly denied her offer for an easy life. He didn't want to be thought as lazy and ungrateful. The last thing he wanted to do was seem like a selfish person in front of both Elsa and Anna. He wasn't like that at all.

Without the sled, travel time to Mount Caelum for the group was multiplied incredibly. There was no way that all of them could climb onto Sven's back and ride him all the way to the mountain. There was also no way that they could travel at a fast pace together. The group each had different stamina levels and the rate at which they would need to stop for another to rest would be very high. To add to that, they all needed their full energy in case another obstacle faced them which was very likely.

They trekked on for the entire day, with Bloom at the front of the group, leading them. They took so many twists and turns that Elsa questioned herself whether or not Bloom truly knew what she was doing. She then countered and told herself that she couldn't risk losing her faith in the fairy. She was her only hope to getting to Artha, and Arthar was her only hope in saving Kai from whatever his infliction was.

The places she led them through were rather spectacular and diverse. First through the forest, then through a grassy field with large rocks, then through another forest, then through another grassy field with large rocks. Following the field, was another forest! But this time, the forest was completely different. It had a small stream in it! The diversity of these landscapes was amazing. Arendelle's land had so many unfamiliar places.

It didn't take long for the sun to finally go down and for the moon to rise. They have been walking for about nine hours after they lost the sled. Their feet were sore. The very thought of walking one more mile was excruciating.

Kristoff scouted ahead for a good place to call it a day. It took only a few moments for him to find a small area clear of trees but surrounded by trees. They followed him off of the current imaginary path they were going and entered the tiny clearing, about half the size of the average bedroom in Arendelle Castle. That was another thing they all missed about back at home.

Instantly, Elsa collapsed on the ground and leaned her back against a tree. Moonlight seeped through the leaves and branches of the trees and hit the center of the clearing. That's where Bloom flew to and sat. She then fell flat on her back and looked up at the shining moon above them all.

"We should get some rest as soon as possible." Elsa said. "Then, we should wake up as _early _as possible. If he's following us, he can't be too far behind."

"Well," Kristoff said, "why don't we just keep walking? We can't just give us the chance to strike when we're not prepared."

"We can't just keep going on and on until we all die of exhaustion." Anna explained. "Eventually, we need to rest, and I'm not lying when I say that I'm really tired."

"I'm just saying that I'm up for a few more miles." Kristoff said. "But, if you all want to rest, then we should take this opportunity."

"It's not like we're taking beauty sleeps, Kristoff." Elsa said.

"Of course you're not." He said.

Sven then sat on the ground and began to snooze. Kristoff sat against the reindeer and laid his back against Sven's body. He was surprised to see how warm Sven was. The fall weather wasn't necessarily as fun to be in as summer weather. Anna, knowing where the most comfortable place for her to sleep is, crawled in next to Kristoff and leaned against Sven as well. Kristoff then put his arm around his wife. Anna then placed her head over Kristoff's shoulder and began to fall asleep. After her eyes were closed, Kristoff leaned his head against Anna's in a loving manner. Before long, Kristoff drifted asleep as well.

Elsa looked over at the couple from her tree a few feet away. She smiled, knowing how happy Anna must feel under her husband's loving embrace. That was all Elsa wanted for her sister. Happiness. She knew that Anna needed someone else in her life that made her happy. Growing up, she knew that she couldn't give Anna what she wanted. She felt that she spent more time thinking about the perfect man for Anna than Anna had ever thought herself. The funny thing was that when Anna found her first man, Hans, Elsa opposed the idea. She wanted Anna to have someone to make her happy, and when Anna immediately found one, she refused to believe that he was the one. Elsa's suspicions were not for no reason, however. She knew that Anna barely even knew Hans, and therefor Hans might have held something ugly from Anna. Elsa's suspicions were justified in the end.

Kristoff was another story. After Kristoff risked so much coming back for Anna and helping her, Elsa knew that he was someone who truly cared. Of course, he didn't propose to Anna immediately. It took a few months for the two to get to know each other better, and when he felt he was ready, he proposed. Elsa, of course, approved this time. Kristoff was not the perfect man, not by a long shot. He didn't grow up with many friends, his social skills were incredibly low, and his line of work was not the greatest. But, he had it good where it counted. He had heart, and that's the most important thing Elsa wanted for her sister.

Looking at the two made Elsa think about how much she missed Kai. She did her best to try to avoid her emotions about him in his current state. She refused to believe that green eyed death machine was him. As far as she was concerned, Kai was dead. His life was taken along with his memories. By finding Arthar, they would be bringing Kai back to life. Kai underwent many journeys to save her and her family. Now, it was their time to return the favor. It was the least they could do.

While she was thinking, she couldn't help the fact that her hands were playing around with her hair. Her hands were mindlessly braiding her straight hair that swept down over her shoulder. It kept braiding and unbraiding. She finally settled to keep the straight hair.

Elsa looked over and saw that Olaf was sitting against a tree like she was, looking down at his feet while turning them like a pendulum in synchronization. He didn't look tired at all. Of course, why would a snowman need sleep?

"Olaf?" Elsa said, trying to get his attention.

"Yeah, Elsa?" Olaf asked.

"Is it okay if you keep watch?" Elsa requested. "I'm really tired. It's been a long day."

"No problem." Olaf said. "I'll wake you guys up at dawn."

"Wake us up if anything bad happens." Elsa said, slowly shutting her eyes and drifting asleep. "We need to be ready."

Elsa and the others only managed a little bit of shut eye before this went sour for them. Elsa was so startled by the sudden events that she didn't even remember what she was dreaming about. She could recall that her dreams were rather pleasant; something she was not given the luxury of for the past few days. Ever since Kai became what he was now, she couldn't remember a dream in which she couldn't call a nightmare. It was a shame really that the one good one she had was taken away from her in a matter of seconds. Just like Kai was taken from her in one short night.

Olaf could have been more clear and apparent when waking the others up. As sound asleep as they were, it would take more than one sentence to wake them up. They all were not ready to lose the sleep they needed to sustain another day. They couldn't keep traveling on with no rest. Considering their current uncharted path, they couldn't catch a break.

"Uh, guys?" Olaf first said.

He knew that something was incredibly odd. He was walking around the tiny open part of the forest when he first spotted it. A pair of eyes staring at him from the darkness and shadows of the forest surrounding them. He said his two words right after he saw the eyes. For a second, he thought that the eyes were human. But, he knew that human eyes weren't that low to the ground. Olaf was about to scream for the others to wake, but he was smart enough to know how unwise that decision would be. If he raises his voice any louder, he had a feeling that he and his friends would be shredded quicker than it would take for one of them to open their eyes.

"Guys, wake up." Olaf said, not too loudly but loud enough so that his words could get through to their ears.

Nothing else happened besides Anna changing her sleeping position so that she was more comfortable next to Kristoff. Elsa seemed unmoved. Bloom, who was sleeping in the middle of the clearing, simply turned over to sleep on her other side.

"Guys!" Olaf said in a quite exclamation. "We've got company."

That was enough to make Kristoff open his eyes, groggily. He then slowly moved Anna's head off of his shoulder and onto Sven's warm back. He then let out a quite yawn while he stretched his arms. As he did that, Elsa slowly opened her eyelids and did her best to prevent them from shutting closed. Kristoff slowly got up and walked over to Olaf, his vision blurry. He couldn't clearly see what Olaf was seeing. His instinct was to believe that it was morning, but everything was still dark. It would be a few more hours until the sun started to rise and the moon would be out of sight.

"What is it?" Kristoff asked Olaf, his voice quite because of his tiredness.

Olaf said nothing. He simply patted Kristoff's leg with the back of his hand and pointed over to the eyes in the darkness. Kristoff knelt down so that he was a bit over Olaf's height so that it would be easier for him to see exactly what Olaf was seeing. He was forced to squint in order to see more clearly. It seemed that snowmen's eyesight was better than a human's. Then, he saw the eyes. Kristoff instantly kicked himself alert and wide awake in his mind. He slowly stood up straight without saying a word. He had a bad feeling that he and the others were going to meet some old, vicious friends. Kristoff asked himself why they had to show up during their resting hours.

Without saying or startling anything, Kristoff approached Anna slowly. He was still facing the direction of the eyes. Kristoff then leaned down at gently shook Anna's shoulder so that she wouldn't wake up in a startled manner. He looked over at Elsa who was wide awake, looking over at the eyes and shadows. She was obviously aware of their new visitor, whoever or whatever it was or is. She then turned over towards Kristoff with very cautious eyes. She mouthed the words "What is that?" Kristoff had a feeling he knew, but he hoped that he was wrong. They couldn't know for sure, but if anything startled it, they were going to find out.

Kristoff just shrugged and thought to himself "We don't want to know."

Anna finally woke up and sat upright. She still had her eyes closed and was tasting her mouth. When Sven felt the presence of Anna leave his back, he too woke up. He didn't make a sound. All he did was look back at Kristoff who was busy keeping his attention on Anna.

"What's going-" Anna said it a little too loudly. Kristoff immediately leaned down and cupped his hand over her mouth. That made her eyes shoot open in confusion. She gave Kristoff a dirty look in her eyes like "What the heck?!"

Using his other hand, Kristoff pointed towards the eyes in the shadows. Anna almost shrieked when she saw it, but she wasn't that stupid. She couldn't compromise the safety of her family out of fear of the unknown. She got her satchel, slung it across her shoulder, and began to rise up. Elsa stood up slowly along with Anna. All of them slowly tip-toed and stood behind Olaf, slightly in an action ready crouch. Bloom then flew quickly and stood on Kristoff's shoulder, just as perplexed as the others originally were. They could see the eyes getting bigger, implying that whatever it was just moved forward.

"What is it?" Anna asked.

"One of our good old, furry, sharp teethed, four legged friends." Kristoff answered.

"A wolf." Elsa simplified.

Anna recalled the last time she encountered a wolf. It must have been about two years ago when she and her friend Rapunzel were chased through a snowy forest by a pack of wolves during their journey to save the kidnapped nobles. They managed to evade the danger without taking any serious damage except for Rapunzel's shoulder scratch. She then remembered the very first time she encountered these fanged animals. It was on her journey to the North Mountain with Kristoff in hopes of bringing Elsa back to Arendelle so she can stop the eternal winter. That time costed Kristoff his sled. She wasn't very fond of wolves and whatever chaos and havoc they brought with them.

"Don't they usually travel in packs?" Elsa asked.

Just after she said it, more eyes appeared around the first pair of eyes. They all looked incredibly similar, displaying the same amount of malice as the first one. They weren't intending on being friends and making piece. They were hungry, and the nearest food they had were Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven. Oh, how lucky they were.

"Me and my big mouth." Elsa said.

"Don't worry guys," Kristoff said, "they won't attack unless they growl first."

Suddenly, growls from all the individual wolves could be heard from the darkness. Kristoff could have sworn that he could see the whiteness of their bared fangs in the darkness.

"Me and my big mouth." Kristoff said.

"Are we screwed?" Anna asked Kristoff.

"Not yet." Kristoff said.

The wolf at the head of the pack stepped out of the shadows and into the clearing. Kristoff and the others took a few quick steps back, cautiously and in fear. They all found themselves standing in the middle of the small clearing, under the moonlight. Two more wolves stepped into the clearing, revealing themselves. The group found themselves facing three blood thirsty wolves.

"Oh," Kristoff said, "we are completely screwed."

"I have an idea." Elsa said. "I could create an ice barrier all around his."

"No, that won't work." Kristoff said. "The wolves are smart, and if they're truly committed, which I think they are, they'll wait it out."

"Yeah," Anna agreed, "and that time we waste inside this barrier is time Kai can use to catch up to us."

"Well," Elsa said, "we can run and while we run, I create walls of ice to slow the wolves down."

"Even then, they can outrun us." Kristoff said. "Obstacles like that won't stop them. Besides, you'll make it awfully easy for Kai to follow. He'll know to follow the giant random ice walls in the forest."

"You guys are just sunshine and butterflies, aren't you?" Elsa said.

Escape was not an option. Running from them would not be wise. It would only be a matter of seconds before the wolves tackled them from behind and begin to feast. The only reason Anna and Rapunzel could run from the wolves was because they had a humongous head start from those wolves. These wolves were only a few feet away.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Olaf asked.

"If I had to guess," Anna said, "it's probably because they know how confident we are against them."

"Maybe." Olaf said. "I heard that wolves could smell fear."

Just then, the sound of a loud fart could be heard behind Olaf. Anna sniffed and almost threw up her lunch. She had to cover her mouth with her hands in order to avoid doing so. Elsa pinched her nose and waved it away from her face. Bloom almost looked like she was going to die. Sven was shaking his head so that he could try to get the smell out of his mind. All Kristoff did was wrinkle his nose.

"Who was that?" Elsa asked.

"Sorry." Kristoff apologized.

That's when the wolves struck. The first one came from behind the three wolves that were already in the clearing. It jumped past the three ones in front of it. Olaf, Anna, Elsa, and Bloom jumped out of the way, but in Bloom's case, flew out of the way. Kristoff was the unlucky one. Instinctively, Kristoff raised his forearm in front of him to protect himself from the animal. The good thing was that the wolf didn't hit much on Kristoff. The bad thing was that Kristoff's forearm took a lot of damage.

Kristoff let out a quick grunt in pain. The wolf's fangs dug deep into Kristoff's forearm. His clothes got soaked a dark red color. Blood. Kristoff couldn't remember the last time he experienced this much pain. Possibly never. He knew he couldn't be complaining about the pain he was in. Kai had it worse than him before. Much worse.

After he got over how much pain he was in, he used his other arm to grab the wolf by its back fur and yank it away from his arm. Kristoff then used his other hand to grab the wolf. The creature was incredibly heavy. Heavier than what Kristoff thought it was. The wolf snapped its mouth towards Kristoff's face while it was being held. Kristoff moved his head back to avoid any injuries. He then threw the wolf at the three wolves who stood in the open. One jumped out of the way while the others weren't too lucky. The wolf slammed into two of the wolves, all three letting out a whimper in the process.

The wolf still standing looked at Kristoff with angry eyes. Kristoff gulped in fear. An angry wolf was in no way less deadly. If he had to guess, the wolf would be more deadly than any of it's comrades because of it's raise.

"Nice doggy." Kristoff said, putting his hands out in front of him. Blood dripped from his forearm and dropped onto the grass one at a time. Kristoff didn't have enough time to assess the damage, but he had a feeling that he needed to treat his wound before long or else blood loss would get the better of him. "Nice vicious beast." Kristoff continued.

It leaped at Kristoff with bared fangs. Before he could do anything, a blast of ice hit the wolf from the side. The wolf was smacked out of it's path in midair. The ice threw it to the side, making it hit a nearby tree and whimper. Kristoff turned to his side to find Elsa standing with her hand in front of her.

"Thanks." Kristoff said.

"Don't thank me just yet." Elsa said. "We're not out of danger."

Kristoff nodded in acknowledgment. He, Elsa, and Anna turned to face the wide gap between two trees where darkness made it's hope. That was where most of the wolves were. They expected a random wolf to just jump out anytime and attack them. Elsa counted about ten seconds before she realized that the wolves were smarter than she gave them credit for. No sound came from any of them. It was possible that they had escaped, but Elsa and Kristoff didn't hear any wolves fleeing the scene. They were still near. They were planning.

"Did they give up?" Olaf asked.

"No." Elsa said. "We just made them angry."

Elsa ordered Anna to hold out her hand to which Anna obliged. Elsa hovered her hands over her sister's, and a weapon of ice began to form in Anna's hand. It was a yard long stick which looked identical to a baton. She then ordered Kristoff to do the same thing. Kristoff held his right arm out in front of Elsa, the arm which took the bite. First, instead of giving Kristoff a weapon, she hovered her hand over his forearm and ran it across. His forearm was then covered in a layer of ice which looked like a gauntlet, although it differed from one because his hand was bare.

"There." Elsa said. "That should help with the bleeding."

"Still hurts like hell." Kristoff complained.

"The ice will numb it." Elsa assured him. "This should be the least of your worries."

Kristoff then unsheathed something from his waist that the others did not see prior. It was his knife. The weapon was old and was never polished. The handle was black and the blade was grey. It's blade was wave-like and completely impractical for a weapon. But, he used the blade on many occasions and it never let him down. He prayed to himself that it wouldn't let him down the first time he used it in actual combat.

Anna looked down at the weapon in disgust. She then looked up angrily at Kristoff.

"What?" Kristoff asked, confused as to what he was doing wrong.

"You're going to use that against these creatures?" Anna asked. "They're just animals, no different than bunnies."

"The things about that is that I've never had a bunny try to bite my face off!" Kristoff said.

Just then, a growl could be heard from one edge of the tiny open circle from the trees. Rustling bushes and branches could be heard from another side of the circle. They were surrounding them as it seemed.

"Anna," Kristoff said, "this is a life or death situation."

"As much as I hate to say it," Elsa said to Anna, "but these wolves will never give us the kindness of mercy. They're out for one thing."

Elsa then flicked her wrists, and faster than anyone could comprehend, ice swords were formed by her powers, one in each hand. Elsa then swung her swords in a skillful yet graceful way. It was a little trick she taught herself when she was bored one day. Kai taught himself virtually the same spin on his sword. Except, whenever he swung his sword, it was for both exercising his reflexes and to intimidate the opponent by showing them that he knew how to handle a blade. Elsa, on the other hand, just learned it because she thought it was neat.

"So, what?" Anna asked. "You guys are just going to stab these creatures who only act out of instinct and survival?"

"I don't want to kill any of them more than you do, Anna." Elsa said. "I know how to handle a sword. I'll slash, but I won't stab. Hopefully these wolves can leave in fear with only a few cuts and bruises."

"Hopefully." Kristoff repeated.

"You sound like you're not planning on playing this carefully." Elsa said.

"I doubt I can stab any wolves with this knife without them hurting me in the process." Kristoff said. "I'm with you on this."

Just then, growls came from all around them. Wolves always traveled in packs. And in this case, the pack sounded incredibly large. There seemed to be at least ten to fifteen wolves surrounding them. They all stood back to back in the middle of the forest clearing. The trees were shrouded in darkness. They wouldn't be able to see where the wolves are coming from, nor would they be able to see the wolves themselves until they entered the clearing. Sven slowly circled around the humans. Olaf riding around on his back. Sven acted like a layer of protection for the others. He didn't intend for anyone to get pass him.

Bloom flew around the circle clearing rapidly, trying to be the first to spot a wolf before the others did. Hopefully then, she would have enough time to warn them before any of the wolves struck. But, she wouldn't have an easy way of telling them. She had no voice, so what was she going to do? It really didn't matter that much. The growl of a wolf would be enough to indicate it's presence.

More aggressive growls came from the woods. The others instantly jerked their heads that direction to see whether or not the first strike would come from over there. Unfortunately for Kristoff, he was the closest one to where the noises were heard. That meant that he was the one closest to the line of fire.

"Any more words of wisdom?" Anna asked. "This may be the last time we get to stand together like this."

"I doubt it." Elsa said. "We'll make it through this predicament like any other."

"So now we're calling life or death scenarios predicaments?" Anna asked.

"Let's stop going back and forth," Kristoff suggested, "and let's focus more on not getting eaten."

He would've died if he wasn't armed right then and there. A wolf jumped out from the darkness before Kristoff, momentarily startling him. Kristoff didn't yell though. He couldn't risk attracting anymore unwanted attention in their area. Although he was paralyzed by fear for a second, he managed to save himself the last minute by swiping his arm that held his knife in a backhand style that Kai liked to use. Kristoff practically punched the wolf away with his armed hand. His knife managed to cut a gash in the wolf's body. The animal whimpered and was thrown to the side.

As the wolf got up to flee, another wolf jumped from the shadows and towards Elsa. When the wolf was at about sword reach, Elsa quickly swung both of her icy swords the same direction towards the wolf. Upon impact, the swords hit the wolf to the side, leaving two nasty cuts in it's body, deeper than what Kristoff's attack did. She would've grieved over what she had done given the circumstances were different than they were. But, they weren't. This was another trial they had to face in order to get to the mountain. She couldn't imagine what the journey home would be like... Assuming, of course, that there was going to be a journey home.

"Kristoff's turn was first." Anna said to herself. "Then Elsa's turn. That means-"

A wolf ran out of the darkness of the trees straight towards Anna faster than she thought was possible. She readied her icy weapon and held it like a warrior running with his sword raised across his or her shoulder into battle.

"My turn! My turn! My turn!" Anna exclaimed.

She then swung down on the wolf right when it was close enough to her. The wolf was hit right in it's head and it's face went flying towards a nearby tree. The wolf's head crashed and smashed through the trunk of the tree. It's head was inside the trunk while the rest of it's body was sticking out. Some may find it amusing how the wolf struggled to push itself out by pressing it's legs against the trunk but to no avail. After a second or two of trying, it gave up and it's body went limp from disappointment.

Two more wolves approached Kristoff. The first wolf was much faster than the other one as it was running compared to the trot of the other wolf. When it jumped at Kristoff's face, he smacked it away with the hilt of his knife, sure that he broke at least one tooth. The other wolf lunged a little lower, allowing Kristoff to simply kick it away with a large force. Both wolves ran away from the clearing like their predecessors before them.

Sven, who was in another part of the clearing, was having some trouble of his own. The wolves must have figured that Sven would probably make the biggest meal out of the others. Naturally, a good number of them attacked Sven first rather than the others. Elsa turned over to Sven who was only a few feet away from the group to find that a wolf was clawing on his back, and that another was at his feet. Sven tried desperately to shake the wolf off and to kick the other one away. They were persistent though. Sven couldn't concentrate on both things at once. Elsa feared that if she didn't do anything, Sven would be nothing more than a carcass in a matter of minutes.

She threw one of her swords down at the ground so that it was sticking out of the dirt. Using her now free hand, she shot a blast of ice at the wolf on Sven's back. The force pushed it off of the back, and the fur of the wolf magically began to get frost all over the area where it was hit. Now free from distraction, Sven stepped on the tail of the wolf at it's feet. The wolf yelped in agony. Sven smiled in amusement. He then slowly raised his other hoof, finally taking out the wolf by quickly striking it with a jab of the hoof to the head. The wolf froze, stuck it's tongue out, and fell to the ground limp.

Sven looked over at Elsa, ready to thank her with a grin on his face. The grin immediately faded and changed into alarm. Sven grunted loudly towards Elsa. She knew exactly what he was trying to tell her. She turned to find a wolf heading straight towards her in mid air. Instinctively, she covered her free hand in a layer of ice so that it was a frozen fist. She punched the wolf with all the force she could muster. Upon impact, her ice fist shattered but the wolf dropped to the ground in front of her. Elsa pushed the wolf a few feet away from her with her foot so that she would have more free foot space.

Anna spotted one wolf only a few yards away from her. The wolf did nothing but snarl and pace back and forth in a straight line, always keeping it's gaze on her. Anna readied her weapon for the wolf's first attack. She steadied her breathing and concentrated on being able to strike the wolf wherever it was going to be when it was close enough to her. Then, confusion swept over Anna's face. She got out of her battle stance and stood straight, giving the wolf a funny look. She could hear Elsa, Sven, and Kristoff hurting approaching wolves around her. They were obviously seeing a lot of action. Anna didn't know what was up with this particular wolf. Was it right in the head?

Anna turned left and right making sure no other wolf was creeping up on her. As she thought, her family was taking out a majority of the incoming wolves. Anna then threw her weapon at the not moving wolf which hit it right in the snout. The wolf dropped to the ground, limp and almost motionless.

"Well..." Anna said to herself, "alright then."

That was probably the most anti-climatic moment in her life.

As the fight went on, it didn't seem like the wolves were willing to give up. They couldn't lie about the fact that they were getting so tired. The lack of sleep, the soreness of their feet from walking, and the fact that their senses had to be alert for the battle meant that it was only a matter of time before they all just dropped and gave up. It was a bit too late for Elsa to create the ice barrier she suggested earlier because there would always be at least two wolves inside of it.

"Elsa," Anna said, "we-"

The deep, load roar of a creature could be heard not so far away from them. The wolves stopped coming, and they all looked over to where the sound was heard. Anna and the others lowered their weapons and looked in the same direction out of curiosity.

"What was that?" Elsa asked.

"The end of us if we don't go..." Kristoff said. "We got to go now!"

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Sorry that this chapter came out a little later than usual... again. This has been a very busy week for me because of school related things, so I hope you guys can forgive me. I hoped you guys liked the chapter. This chapter was also one of the longest chapters I've ever written, too, so I hope the length made up for the wait. Also, I never usually read my own work. Can you guys tell me how long it usually takes for you to read one of my chapters? I hope it's longer than about ten minutes, because that's what I try to break.

I've had this crazy idea in my head that if I ever had the time, I would rewrite Phoenix Fire. Looking at the writing for it makes me embarrassed. I probably won't ever get the chance to do so, but if I do, I just wanted to let you guys know that the idea is out there. It probably will come out late 2015 or early 2016 assuming I'm still interested in it.

**QOTD: What's your prediction on what will happen to Deren in the story? (I know what happens, but I just wanted to see if you guys can guess correctly)**

Ciao


	22. Danger Never Rests - Part II

**Danger Never Rests - Part II**

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Fleeing was their go-to choice in their current predicament. Everything that was around them wanted to kill them. They've never been able to catch a break for the past few days. It was always one horrific event after another. It was as if everything was against them. Why did they have to get all the bad luck? Why does all the worst things revolve around them? All they wanted was to get their friend back. It seemed as though that certain friend didn't even want to come back because he was trying to kill them not two moons ago.

It was one bad thing after another for them. This bad luck streak didn't start recently, though. It actually began early in Anna and Elsa's lives. First, everything was nice and sweet when they were incredibly young. Things went downhill when Elsa accidentally hit Anna's heads with her powers. Things didn't get better after that. First, Elsa isolated herself from everybody, forcing her to grow up incredibly lonely. Then, their parents met their tragic ends on that one fateful voyage. To top that, Elsa froze Arendelle a few years later, and she also froze Anna's heart.

The year following those last events were kinder to them than most. Anna got engaged for real, and Elsa hired a rather handsome man, Travis Summers, to be her Captain of the Guard and potential significant other. What could go wrong? Well, a lot of things. Kai accidentally ruined half the town and Anna's wedding, Bandits attacked and kidnapped Anna, Elsa and some men going on a voyage to save her with Kai and Olaf stowing away, finding out those men were bad guys all along including Summers, the ship sinking, Elsa almost dying of sickness, Kai's heart getting frozen, Elsa getting kidnapped, and so on. At least it all worked out in that adventure in the end of it.

But, bad luck and predicaments kept coming. First, Kai was thought to be dead, then he wasn't dead, the Southern Isles declaring war with Arendelle, a bunch of dignitaries getting kidnapped, Anna fleeing Arendelle to go on another crazy adventure, Kai's finger getting cut off, Elsa's castle getting destroyed, and a lot of other bad things of the sort. Although things worked out for most of them, Kai was still recovering.

Now, they found themselves facing a countless number of deadly wolves which could tear a full grown man into tiny pieces in a matter of seconds. To add onto that, an unknown but scary creature was in the woods surrounding the clearing they were at. Whatever it was, it didn't seem at all friendly. It was a large probability that it was more dangerous than all of the wolves combined. The creature's roar halted the wolves for only a moment, but the wolves managed to get their heads together and continue their assault on what they hoped to be their dinner.

A wolf lunged at Anna who smacked it with her tiny staff-like weapon. The wolf flew to the side and hit another wolf which was running towards Kristoff.

"I don't like the sound of that thing." Anna said to the others.

"Really?" Elsa asked, sarcastically. "I for one love the sound of our impending doom!"

After she said that, Elsa blasted another poor wolf with a blast of ice, knocking it onto it's side and leaving frosts on it's fur where the blast struck. Elsa seemed to understand exactly what her powers did to the wolf's anatomy. Unlike humans, the wolves didn't show any signs of freezing or getting any white streaks of fur when struck by Elsa's powers. Perhaps that was only a trick which could harm humans. Elsa was glad that the worst she was doing to the animals was knocking them out for a while.

"Why don't we see that many wolves near the city?" Anna asked.

"That's because the amount of people there intimidate them." Kristoff answered. "Even on the outskirts of the city, they stay away since they know that they have no chance in getting any meals." As he said that, he kicked a wolf right in the snout. It ran away from Kristoff, whimpering, and in a hop-like manner because it had one paw covering it's snout. "They like to stay deeper in the forest." Kristoff continued. "There are usually a fewer amount of people there so it's easy for them to pick people off."

Olaf was not really involved in the battle. What could a snowman do against a pack of bloodthirsty dogs? Olaf stood in the center of Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa's back to back circle, doing his best to not get bitten. It was good for him that wolves didn't have snowmen on their appetite as that would be no different than water.

Bloom managed to do her own thing which helped her friends a slight as what she did wasn't incredibly significant, but it made their job easier by saving them the trouble of taking out one wolf. Bloom flew out of the middle of the circle where Olaf was at and flew towards a wolf preparing to lunge at Anna.

The wolf instantly refocused its attention on Bloom when it saw it. The wolf was too busy trying to guess what Bloom was so it didn't attack her immediately. Bloom smirked, knowing that she could use that to her advantage. She flew around the wolf's head as fast as she could, not daring to stop. The wolf turned it's eyes and head around and around, trying to spot about ten seconds of flying, Bloom reappeared in front of the wolf, not moving. The wolf, in it's dizziness and confusion, fell onto the ground with twirls in its eyes.

Bloom uppercutted the air in victory. But, before she could fly off and do the same trick to other wolves, the same monstrous roar was heard from the trees and bushes nearby. It startled everyone, including the wolves. Everyone looked in that directions and could hear the rustling from the bushes.

"Be prepared for anything." Elsa said.

Then, a ginormous brown bear ran into the clearing. The size of the bear was uncanny. It was incredibly large. So large that it seemed to be double the size of an average bear. On four legs, it stood to be about seven feet tall. The height of it standing up would have been terrifying for anyone. Dried blood was all around the bear's snout. Scratches and scars revealing areas with no fur covered the bear. The bear had seen battle, and judging by its appearance right then and there, it obviously won those battles.

"I've never seen bears in Arendelle before." Anna said, in fear.

They still had time to exchange words. The bear was turning its head and eyes, examining the area before him. It sniffed to smell what he was dealing with. The wolves and humans seemed to be easy prey. They were puny compared to the bear.

"That's because none of them are this big." Kristoff replied.

"What can we do?" Olaf asked.

"There's only one thing we can do." Kristoff said. "Run!"

The wolves seemed to know the running option even before Kristoff announced it. While they were focusing all of their attention on the bear, the wolves used that time to flee rather than use it as a distraction. The wolves were desperate, but they weren't fools. They knew how to back away when things didn't look like they would go their way. It would take much more than the combined force of all the wolves to take down that bear, and if they were still having trouble taking down their original prey, then there was no hope for any of them. Their instinct was to attack. Fear seemed to overrule instinct.

Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf all turned towards one direction and prepared to dash away. Kristoff ordered the others to flee with him at the same time, but immediately after all of them took their first step forward away from the bear, Anna's foot got caught on a twig, forcing her to fall onto the ground. Elsa and the others would've accidentally left her if it wasn't for Sven's cry. Kristoff and Elsa jerked their heads back towards the clearing to find Anna helpless on the ground. Olaf turned his head while running and slammed into a tree, making his body fall apart into three pieces.

As Anna loosened her foot from the twig it caught, the bear approached her with eyes that seemed to glow with blood-lust. Anna worked more fiercely and furiously to try to get herself away from the animal of death. Kristoff ran over to her and helped her free her ankle and foot. It looked like when she fell, she somehow made the wrap around her ankle worse. When she and Kristoff finally freed the foot, it was too late. The bear was already standing over them, casting a shadow with the moonlight behind it.

"No!" Elsa said. She shot a blast of ice right at the middle of the bears body, but all it seemed to do was create frosts on it's fur. Elsa was getting really frustrated with the limitations of her powers. They seemed to be of no use to anyone during the entire journey. Of course things wouldn't go easy for her.

Kristoff held Anna in his arms and shielded her from the bear's attack. He knew that the attempt would be futile as it would maul the both of them at the same time. He wanted his last moments, however, to be spent protecting his wife and that she'll know he loves her even to the death.

The bear raised it's paws in the air, ready to slam them down over the couple. But, Sven prevented this. Sven rammed the side of the bear with his antlers, pushing the bear a few feet into a nearby tree. While it was being pushed, it used its paw and clawed the side of Sven's body, leaving four nasty red marks. Sven grunted in pain. The entire tree shook, and the leaves began to fall. Sven then defiantly approached the bear with eyes of anger and determination. Sven roared at the bear with all of his might. The bear didn't seem scared at all. It shook the pain right off of itself and roared back at Sven, much louder than when Sven roared at it.

Sven's eyes widened and backed away as if to say "Never mind." He was hurt enough as it was. He couldn't risk going against the bear face to face.

By then, Anna and Kristoff were already up and Olaf managed to put himself back together. Elsa waved her arm, motioning for the others to follow. "Come on!" Elsa exclaimed. Without hesitation, they ran with Elsa into the woods. Yet, they all felt as if a presence was missing. It took them a second to realize that Bloom wasn't with them. Elsa turned back towards the clearing to find Bloom flying furiously right in front of the bear.

Of course she would do that, Elsa thought to herself. Bloom wanted to be a distraction. She wanted to be the diversion which kept the bear busy so that it wouldn't notice the escape of the others. Unfortunately, the bear managed to smack Bloom right out of the air and send her flying straight towards a tree. Bloom's back hit the tree, her eyes closed to unconsciousness, and she slid down to the foot of the tree. Afterword, the bear slowly approached Bloom, believing that she was dead, and wondering how fairy tasted like.

Elsa wasn't willing to let her friend go down. She shot a volley of icicles towards the bear. Since the bear was facing the direction which Elsa aimed her icicles, its back was turned on her. The icicles made they're home in the back buns of the bear which howled in pain upon impact. It refocused its attention on Elsa rather than Bloom. The creature shook the icicles off of its butt, and slowly approached Elsa with intimidation. In its mind, it was thinking "Stupid girl harms my butt. I harm stupid girl".

"I'll distract it." Elsa said. "You guys get Bloom."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Kristoff asked.

"No." Elsa answered, truthfully. "But it's our best hope to get her out of here alive."

Without hesitation, they sprung into action. Elsa kept sending blasts of ice towards the bear, but it would seem as if her blasts were futile. The bear thought nothing of it. Surely because it's skin and fat was too thick for the ice to do any real damage. However, the bear did get many spots of frost were Elsa struck it. It's eyes were focused directly at Elsa's, not even thinking about Anna and Kristoff sneaking from the side to the tree where Bloom was hurt.

Anna had swifter feet than Kristoff, so she managed to get to get to Bloom before he was able to. Kristoff managed to get over to Anna only a moment after she got to Bloom. His back was facing her, and his front was facing the body of the bear. It was obvious that that was a defensive gesture. Anna was the tool of Bloom's rescue, and Kristoff was her protection.

Anna kneeled down and cupped Bloom with both hands from the foot of the tree. Bloom was still unconscious, so she was rather limp in her hands. Anna brought Bloom closer to her body and hugged her on her chest. That way, she ensured Bloom's safety. There was no way that she was going to let go of Bloom. Anna promised herself that no matter what happened, she would protect Bloom. The poor thing suffered pain because she was trying to protect her friends. The least Anna could do was do the same.

"Let's go." Anna whispered to Kristoff. "Before we're dinner."

Unfortunately for them, the bear seemed to have heard them. It turned away from Elsa and focused its attention on Kristoff, Anna, and Bloom. It realized that Anna and Kristoff had no magical properties, therefore they would be easier to take down. The bear ran for them immediately.

Kristoff and Anna had different ideas of escape. Anna ran to the left of the bear, and Kristoff to the right. Now, it was only a matter of who the bear wanted as its victim. It was Kristoff's lucky day because the bear chased after him rather than Anna. Kristoff underestimated the speed of the bear as it moved faster than he even realized bears could move. He could feel the presence of the bear behind him as he ran around the outskirts of the clearing.

Sven was ready to jump in and ram the bear again, but when he stepped forward, the pain on his side became more intense. So intense that it hurt to move a muscle in his body. Who knew what the a bear could do to him this time? He figured that it was best to let Kristoff evade the bear using some of his maneuvers.

When he thought the bear was close enough, he dropped and rolled to the side, in hopes of dodging the bear. The bear ran past Kristoff's original position, but stopped immediately. Kristoff was too busy trying to figure the bear out that he lost time for getting up. The bear turned towards Kristoff and charged. When it was only a few feet away, the bear stood on its two legs and towered over Kristoff.

Kristoff looked up in fear. As tough as he was, there were still things which terrified him, and a bloodthirsty bear was one of those things.

"Uh oh." Kristoff said to himself.

Then, a large icicle grew out of the ground and impaled the bear's body. Kristoff turned over to Elsa, knowing that she was the only one who could do such a feat. Her arms were extended in front of her, and her eyes were pink, almost at the brink of tears. The bear roared in pain and its roared soon turned into whimpers. Soon enough, the icicle turned into tiny snowflakes, freeing the bear from the painful and uncomfortable position.

Kristoff scrambled off of the ground and walked frisky toward his family, relieved that he wasn't dead. They saw that the bear was still standing, obviously in shock of what had just happened. After about a second, the bear fell to the ground and rolled on its side. Blood poured out of the wound.

Elsa gasped in horror at what she had just done. A bear acting on instinct was just killed by her own powers. This was exactly the sort of thing Elsa didn't want to happen because of her. She grew up believing that her powers would bring nothing but pain to everything and everyone. This was proved that point.

Anna grabbed Elsa's arms and pulled her closer. Anna moved Elsa"'s face away from the bear and towards hers.

"Elsa," Anna said, "before you say anything else, you need to understand that you had no choice."

"I do understand that." Elsa said. "But-"

"It's self defense." Anna said. "Don't feel bad about that."

"Yeah." Kristoff added. "You saved my life. Don't feel bad."

Before Elsa could say anything else to condemn herself, multiple howls could be heard in the distance. The wolves were incredibly close by. It was possible that they never left the area and were just waiting to eat the scraps of the bear. The fact that the growls of the bear could no longer be heard made it obvious that the bear was gone, giving the wolves another chance to strike.

"We seriously need to go." Anna said.

Kristoff nodded and turned toward Sven. Earlier, it hurt Sven to move. They couldn't imagine fleeing with haste with the condition Sven was in. Blood was soaking his fur. Unfortunately for them, they had nothing with them to heal Sven's wound. Thankfully, Elsa's powers would assuage the pain he was in.

She approached Sven, trying not to let the pain of the bear get to her.

"Don't do anything crazy for a second, okay?" Elsa requested of Sven.

She ran her hand across his wound, hovering her hand a few inches over it. Snowflakes rapidly drifted onto the wound. The cold made Sven wince, but he understood that Elsa didn't do this to make him hurt more than it needed to. She was doing her best to make him feel better, and for that, he was thankful.

"There." Elsa said. "Good boy. It won't heal it, but it'll make it hurt less."

Sven grunted in happiness to thank Elsa.

"Right." Kristoff said. "Come on!"

Without hesitation, he ran into the woods, followed by Olaf, Sven, and Anna who still had Bloom held close to her chest. Elsa was at the back of the group. But, before she exited the clearing completely, she turned her head to face the bear which was barely moving and in a pool of blood. Elsa silently apologized the bear. But, a second afterwords, three smaller figures came out of the woods and into the clearing. For a second, Elsa thought they were just wolves. But, she only glimpsed at them for a second before she turned around to follow her family. But, she managed one last glance.

She saw that the three figures weren't wolves at all, but rather bears. They were too small to be full grown bears. They were cubs. Three cubs. And Elsa had just stabbed their mother.

* * *

Exiting the forest put them into a wider path. The trees were too close together on both sides of the wide path, meaning that it didn't look artificial. It was a naturally made path. Most of the things they have came across were naturally made. There didn't seem to be a single human who had been in that part of the wolves for years. There wasn't anyone who left any traces to how to get to the mountain.

After running through the path for about a minute, Kristoff, who was at the front of the group, slowed down to catch his breath. He wasn't the only one, too. Anna and Elsa stopped running behind him to take a short break. They were too exposed to the wolves who were surely following them. It didn't matter to them. They were all so incredibly tired. No sleep and lack of physical energy was not good for the human body. If they pushed themselves harder than they already were, they wouldn't make it another day. Who knew what would kill them first?

"We all here?" Kristoff asked. He turned around to see the party. He checked everyone when he looked at them: Anna, check, Elsa, check, Bloom, check, Olaf, check, and Sven, check. They were all there and still in one piece for the most part. Besides his bite wound and Sven's scratch wound, they were fine.

"We're all accounted for." Anna said in between deep breaths.

Kristoff smiled, glad that things didn't go very sour. All they did was lose a few hours of sleep. The sky was the blue color is was between morning and midnight. Within a few hours, dawn will come and that would be followed by morning. They would have the help of sunlight to guide them. Unfortunately, nighttime is also when a majority of animals and other things that could kill them would wake. They couldn't worry about that now, though. The aftermath of their last encounter was too near.

Elsa couldn't stop thinking of the bears. She blamed herself for the death of their mother. Although she didn't necessarily see the bear die, she knew that it would only be a matter of time before she bled out. She orphaned three small cubs who now had no one to take care of them. They had to fend for themselves in a world which thought bears were nothing but trouble. She wondered how long the bears would last alone.

The cubs explained exactly why the mother bear attacked. All she wanted to do was to protect her young, and she apparently thought that the wolves and humans would pose a threat. She tried to protect her family, and she paid the price.

That seemed to be a huge theme with family. One will do whatever he or she can do in order to protect the ones he or she loves unconditionally. They would sacrifice their own lives and die happy knowing that the ones he or she was fighting for are safe. Elsa prayed that no one would make the same sacrifice for her.

Elsa prepared to tell the others about the cubs and what she saw. She waited a while because she was putting together how she was going to word it. They walked along the path as she thought. Kristoff was in the front, followed by Sven, followed by Anna and Bloom, then Elsa, leaving Olaf at the end of the group. Olaf turned his head back and widened his eyes. He then scurried to the front of the group, next to Kristoff. Olaf tugged Kristoff's pants to get his attention.

"Yeah, Olaf?" Kristoff asked.

"Quick question." Olaf say. "What do we say when we see that the wolves are going to attack?"

"Oh." Kristoff said, as if the answer wasn't obvious. "Well, just say that the wolves are going to attack."

"Well, then..." Olaf said smiling. His smile turned into horror as he pointed his finger a few hundred yards behind them. "The wolves are gonna attack!"

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: This chapter was significantly shorter than the previous one, so I apologize about that. I was, however, rushing myself to write this one so that's probably the reason why it's short. Hope you guys liked it nonetheless. Please leave a review/comment as always!

My Percy Jackson fic is definitely going to come out summer and not before. In the time before I start it, but after I finish this story, I need a project to work on. I originally was going to do the prequel fic, but then I realized that the story was pretty much a copy-and-paste of Assassin's Creed: Rogue, and that the story really doesn't fit well in the universe I created because of it's elements and mood. I was, however, thinking of doing a well-written rewrite of Phoenix Fire. I read a few of my chapters from that story recently, and I was not happy with it. The writing seemed so childish. Right now, I'm more interested in rewriting it than writing a prequel. The rewrite will include brand new dialogue, more detailed action and setting, and possibly extra scenes.

Should I work on a prequel or a good rewrite?

**QOTD: Since I rushed this chapter, and because I want to know you guys better, what's your favorite band? **

Ciao.


	23. Cave of Crystals

Author's Note: Sorry for the late upload! I've been busy lately.

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**Cave of Crystals**

* * *

They were grateful that the wolves weren't as close as they were now compared to back at the clearing. A good majority of them all had cuts on their bodies which were still red with blood. The wounds were still fairly fresh, so not enough time flew by in between the fleeing of the wolves and their re-encounter. It was only a few minutes, and the wolves did not forget a single thing that happened to them during that short time. All of them had bloodthirsty eyes, not out of hunger, but out of anger. Not a single wolf had fangs which were not bared.

It seemed apparent that there was no way in the world to get the wolves to leave them alone. After they set their eyes on a feast, there would be no way for them to go back. There was only one way for the wolf encounters to end; when one of the two parties is completely wiped out. Either the humans killed the wolves, or the wolves killed the humans. The humans were not overly fond of either option.

Elsa, who was currently the closest one to the wolves, took one cautious step back. Everyone else who was standing behind her followed her example and took the exact same sized step. Too large of a step the wolves would be provoked. Too little of a step would lead to a pattern of similar steps which would take time, giving the wolves the time to decide their approach. But, it was only a matter of time before the wolves were to begin their attacks. The group just needed to all be ready to run when the time comes.

In no way could they outrun the wolves. Wolves moved incredibly fast. If they just ran without an offensive or defensive strategy, they would be chow within no time. Lucky for them, they had weapons. Their defense wasn't the worst. They also had someone who could control ice with the power of her mind. So, there were definitely some maneuvers Elsa could use to their advantage. So far, however, her powers seemed unnecessary for the entire journey.

"Why don't we ever encounter vegetarian wolves?" Anna whispered.

"When I discover that they exist," Kristoff said, "I'll let you know."

Kristoff turned his head back to see what was behind them. He couldn't believe that he hasn't seen it before. Although it was misty and faint, the outline of the top of it was still there. He could still spot the darkness of the slope. A few hundred yards away was a mountain or hill. It was way too small to be Mount Caelum, and it was much more like a rocky hill than an actual mountain. It didn't matter what it was. If they could get to high ground, the wolves would have a much more difficult time getting to them.

Kristoff nudged Anna's elbow who cautiously turned her head back to see what he needed of her. He pointed to the distant rocky hill, and she confidently smiled, automatically knowing his plan. She nodded in agreement, confirming her approval. She just hoped that the wolves didn't have a crazy mutation which would allow them to scale mountains with ease.

Anna looked down at where she was holding Bloom close to her chest like a baby. An extremely tiny baby. Although she wasn't fully conscious yet, she was moving around in her hands which gave Anna faith about her well being. As long as Anna took care of her, they had their guide. They needed desperately for Bloom to wake up as soon as possible, though. They had no idea where they were going, nor which direction they were going for that matter. They could have been going south when north was where they had to go. The hill, however, was not seen before during their journey, meaning that they were going forward.

"Elsa." Anna whispered.

Elsa turned back to see what was up, keeping an ear open for the first sign of wolf action. They seemed to like to wait for their prey to make the first move. No doubt because they could come up with a counter after their reaction.

Anna pointed up toward the hill, making sure that Elsa could spot it before she put her hand down. At first, Elsa was skeptical whether or not the rocky hill or mountain was their best option in evading the wolves. It seemed so far away, and they would be run down before they could make it over there. They obviously intended to fend off wolf attacks while running, but that was easier said than done. Not only did they have to pay attention to their footing and the path ahead, but they also needed to watch their backs. The task was not an easy one, and they would be lucky if they got to the mountain unscratched.

To add to that, Sven's condition made it really hard for him to sprint that straight path. Sure, he could run for a few seconds at full speed, but his injury would eventually force him to stop. The easiest thing they could was to make a run for it, leaving Sven behind as a distraction. That was not an option, though. Leaving someone behind was never an option for them. Either all of them went, or none of them.

Elsa saw no other option that was better. Given that the initial option wasn't that good to begin with, it was still better than anything else they could think of. One option was to just stand and fight. In the tired and sore condition they were all in, that wasn't much of a good plan.

Elsa reluctantly agreed to Kristoff and Anna's suggestion. She wondered what Olaf thought they should do, but he really didn't have any say in the matter. The wolves didn't even regard his presence. It was safe to say that his safety was assured.

"Fine." Elsa said to her sister and brother in law.

"It's all we got." Anna said. "Besides, we can be safe over there."

"Define safe." Kristoff said, skeptically.

"He's right." Elsa said. "We'll never really be safe here. There'll always be one danger after the next. It's like a never ending nightmare."

Kristoff chuckled. "Imagine what the journey back will be like."

"Assuming there would be a journey back." Anna muttered.

"Focus on the task at hand." Elsa ordered them. "Once we start running, so will they. That also works the other way around."

"Well then," Kristoff said, "let's not let them have the first move."

Elsa couldn't see the others behind her. She was still the closest one to the wolves which were a hundred or two meters away, and she was farthest from the mountain as well. She had their back, though, because of her powers. They needed to get to the mountain as fast as humanly possible, and they hoped that Sven could hold up for a short sprint.

"On the count of three." Elsa said. "One..."

The wolves all snarled at the same time and ran towards the group. Elsa was confused since she was certain that the wolves would have waited for them to start running first. Unless... She turned her head back to find everyone else already about half a hundred meters ahead of her. Elsa rolled her eyes and chased after them. But, she could hear the wolves gaining on them faster than she thought possible. If she didn't do something quick, it was all over and their entire journey would have been for vain.

She instantly thought of a way to slow all of the wolves down at once, but it was risky. Not because it would directly affect them, but because it would make certain hunter's job so much easier. Elsa decided to not mind the fact that she would make it easier for Kai to track them down. All she cared about was getting out of their current predicament.

By quickly turning back and facing the wolves, Elsa managed to shoot a blast of ice a few feet in front of her. The ice hit the ground, and it immediately grew into a large icy wall that blocked the path between her and the wolves.

She then broke out into a sprint. As fast as she could, she turned and ran, trying her best to make as much distance as she could between herself and the ice wall. It would be only a mere matter of seconds before the wolves found a way past the wall of ice, and the way to get past it was simple; go around and run through the trees. The trees would slow them down, and in that time Elsa had to her advantage, she could get caught up to the others and save herself from becoming an eaten corpse.

It seemed as though that she was running faster than the others since she was catching up to them fairly quickly. At the point where she turned her head around to see the progress of the wolves, she was only about twenty yards away from her family. The twenty yards was still a long distance though. The plus side was that they were about that same distance from the mountain, meaning that Elsa and the others didn't have to run that much longer.

"Thanks for waiting for me!" Elsa yelled sarcastically to the people in front of her.

"We thought you would run with us!" Anna countered.

"You could have given me a heads up!" Elsa argued.

"We thought you knew!" Olaf said, riding on top of Sven. Olaf could feel the difference between his current ride on Sven and previous ones. Sven usually wasn't very shaky or wobbly when he ran, but because of his injury, the reindeer was forced to run in a strange way so that the pain would not bother him as much.

Bloom was slowly regaining consciousness in Anna's hands. She tossed and turned while Anna ran, feeling the roughness of the ride she was experiencing. Slowly, Bloom opened her eyes to find herself pressed against Anna's chest. She was about to fly up and out of her hands, but she had no idea what was going on. It was better for her to just go with the flow rather than jump in clueless.

Ahead, Kristoff could see more clearly exactly where the path led. The path they were running in seemed so natural because of how tight it was, but at the end of it was an opening to a cave on the inside of the rocky hill. Kristoff couldn't make any exact details since all he could make out was a large black hole at the foot of the mountain. To add to that, the slopes of the small mountain were too steep and smooth for them to climb. Their original plan was shot down. But, it was a good thing that the cave was there. The convenience was incredible.

"Do you see that?" Kristoff asked Anna, still running. He pointed toward the dstant cave entrance.

Anna squinted to spot what Kristoff was pointing out. Sure enough, she saw the same thing. It was definitely a cave entrance. "Yeah." Anna said. "How do you know if it's not a dead end?"

"You don't." Kristoff answered.

"Then we'll be trapped in there from the wolves." Anna said. "We're trying to evade them, not bait ourselves."

As she said that, Elsa could see that the wolves were progressing quicker than she had imagined. One of them was already only about one hundred meters behind her, and it would catch up to her in only a few seconds. She finally decided that another icy maneuver couldn't hurt their escape. While running backwards, she spread her arms out in front of her and aimed them slightly downward. A wave of icy spikes about three feet tall shot out of the ground and pointed diagonally toward the wolves. Elsa turned and sprinted even faster than she did before, not looking at the results of her obstacle.

The wolf that was gaining on Elsa didn't have much time to react. It stopped its feet from running as it approached the spikes. It slid on the ground on all four paws until it barely stopped an inch away from the spikes. If had stopped running a little later, he would have been impaled for sure. But, that didn't stop the other wolves who weren't that far behind that one. The first wolf was only about ten yards ahead of its comrades.

Some wolves stopped in front of the spikes, unsure whether they could make it over. The other wolves, however, were much more confident. Those who believed they could make the jump jumped over both the spikes and their comrades. All who attempted made it. Afterwords, they continued to run after their prey.

By that point, Kristoff and the others excluding Elsa were already only a few yards from the entrance of the cave. From where they were, they could faintly see a green light from deep inside the cave. There appeared to be another opening about one hundred meters inside from the entrance to the cave. The entrance itself was only about ten feet long and that same distance in width.

Something was bright inside the cave, meaning that the cave went deeper than just what could be seen. Although what was inside was completely unknown, Kristoff would rather take his chances with whatever it was that was in the cave rather than face the wolves for any longer. Facing the wolves would lead to his doom. The mystery of the cave was determinate on whatever it was.

Kristoff and the others turned around to face the running Elsa after they ran a few feet into the cave. Elsa was running as fast as she could, but the wolves were faster. Anna could see one wolf almost at Elsa's heels. If Elsa didn't do anything, no amount of magical ice could save her from being mauled to death. She may have been stronger than the average human, but she still shared the same weaknesses. She was not immortal. No one was.

"Behind you!" Anna yelled out.

Elsa was too busy trying to save her own skin that she failed to hear the footsteps and growls of the incoming wolves. If it weren't for Anna's warning, she wouldn't have had the time to react properly.

The queen turned around to find a wolf about two and a half yards behind her. She blasted it with a shot of ice, and it stopped running, and rolled forward. Two more wolves jumped over its immobile body and ran straight towards Elsa. She assumed that it would be easy to take both out at the same time. Using both hands, Elsa shot two blasts of ice at the wolves who were running side by side. Both moved to the side, narrowly dodging the ice.

Because of that, she knew that she shouldn't think of the wolves as mindless creatures anymore. She couldn't just continue shooting ice at them, expecting it not to miss at all. Instead, another idea popped into her head. As she ran, she pointed her hands towards the ground. Wherever she passed, the ground froze over and it looked like an ice rink. The wolves who were running on top of the ice either slowed down to run carefully or slipped and hurt themselves.

When Elsa entered the cave, without hesitation, she raised her arm up from her side and an ice wall covered the entrance to the cave. From the inside, they could see the silhouette of wolves slam into the wall. The ice was strong enough for it not to crack upon the wolves' impact.

Moonlight made the icy wall seem to glow.

Anna, Kristoff, and Sven fell to the ground out of exhaustion, especially Sven. The entire sprint was almost unbearable for him. Elsa remained standing, looking at the wall and listening to the angry growls of the wolves on the other side. She saw about four of them clawing the wall but to no avail. The family was safe from the wolves at last. Not a single one of them was not relieved. They've all had enough encounters with wolves to last a lifetime.

Bloom was fully conscious at that point. She flew out of Anna's hands and into the air. Confused, she turned her head left and right countless times in order to understand where they were and what was going on. All she saw was the light at the end of the cave and her friends. There weren't any wolves are bears in sight, so that was a good thing for her. Relived, she gently drifted down and sat on Anna's shoulder.

"Nice to have you back." Anna said, taking her finger and rubbing Bloom's cheek. Bloom smiled and gave a jolly face.

"That was too close." Olaf said. He slid off of Sven's back and landed on the stone ground.

"You can say that again." Elsa said.

"That was too close." Olaf obliged.

"Olaf," Kristoff said, "when people say-"

"Save it for another time." Elsa said. "Bloom, do you know where we are?"

Bloom shook her head, sadly. Of course, what business would a butterfly ever have in a strange cave in the middle of a mountain deep in the woods. The route Bloom took to the Valley of the Living Rock was much more mild and with the only terrain she had ever faced was forest. Mountain passing was something that was alien to her.

"So now what?" Anna asked.

"We should stay here and rest." Kristoff suggested. "We'll finally be able to get some sleep without someone trying to kill us."

"And wait for Kai to find a giant icy wall on the side of a mountain that he'll burn down in under a minute?" Elsa rebutted. "We're not exactly inconspicuous here.. Besides, it'll get harder to breath sooner or later."

"She's right." Anna said to Kristoff. "The sooner we're out of here, the better. Besides, knowing our luck, it'll only be a matter of time before some miraculous event causes everything to cave in. I say we keep on going to the end of wherever the cave leads."

"And if there's nothing there?" Kristoff asked.

"Then we come back here and hope for the best." Elsa answered.

Kristoff took a few long seconds to decide whether or not they should follow through with that plan. He really didn't believe it to be wise for them to keep on going with no idea and no clue as to what awaited them. Staying at their current position could be equally as dangerous, though. Kai was going to figure out where they were sooner or later, and the time they wasted sleeping was time he used to his advantage.

He didn't know what was worse. However, it didn't look like the girls were willing to stay put. Their curious natures, especially Anna's, told them to keep going forward and to see what was on the other side. After going through every single detail, he decided that continuing was definitely the lesser of two evils.

"Alright." Kristoff said. "Let's go in there and see what else is going to try to kill us."

Magnificent. That's the best and only word to describe the inside of the mountain. They had no idea that something as small as that mountain could have something as grand as it did. They underestimated the size of the mountain as well. It was much more wider than they originally perceived it to be.

After deciding that they should continue going through the mountain, they all gave themselves a minute for a short break to catch their breaths. Afterwords, they went deeper into the cave, towards the opening at the end with a faint green light illuminating it from the left side. Besides the green light, everything else was completely dark and they might as well have been blind as mice.

This time, Elsa took the lead. She hated being at the back because that proved to be nothing but trouble for her. Kristoff, who was the most cautious out of all of them, took the back this time. Anna followed Elsa, and Sven and Olaf followed Anna. Bloom was floating in the air with her wings right next to Anna's head, knowing that Anna had her back no matter what happened. All were on their guard and was prepared for anything, as anything could happen down there.

Elsa stepped through the opening which was only about seven feet tall and four feet wide. It was a tight space, but nothing too big for any of them to worry about. Sven was luckily able to fit through, however he found his antlers scratching against the wall at times.

After going through the opening, Elsa saw that is sloped down to the left, and that's where the light was coming from. It sloped down mildly and it went down for only about three yards. At the end of the slope was another opening, or rather exit, which seemed to lead into a more open space. The funny thing was that Elsa could see shines of blue in that space.

Elsa then slowly led them down the slope and into the opening. Elsa's eyes widened as she walked into the wider area.

They were standing on top of an elevated area, about twenty five feet off of the ground below. Rocks piled on top of each other on the edge of elevated stone, making it seem easy for the group to climb down. The entire area was incredibly large with it being about fifty feet wide and two hundred feet in length across from where Elsa was and where the other end of the cavern was. Who knew that the mountain could host something so large. The only visible exit was an opening at the base of the wall on the opposite end of the room.

The size of the cavern wasn't the incredible part though. All around the cavern, sticking to the walls, were large chunks of crystals. No, not large. Humongous. The average size of the crystals would be about thirty feet long and five to ten feet wide. There were some crystals that were much much smaller though, ranging from the size of a coin to the size of an apple. The crystals were everywhere, from being a part of the stone walls and hanging from the top of the cavern like chandeliers.

The colors of the crystals were all either green, blue, or red, with green being the most frequent color. That would explain the green light they saw prior. The only source of light in the cavern were the crystals themselves. That was odd since there should have been some other light source to shine on the crystals. They all seemed to be glowing with their respective colors. It was almost magical. It perhaps was most definitely magical.

"Whoa." Anna said. Her voice echoed throughout the entire cavern.

She stepped near the edge of the stone platform. Her foot hit a small pebble which rolled off the edge and bounce off of rocks, making it's way down to the ground below. The ground was rather tame with no crazy obstacles on it minus the large rock-like crystals littered here and there.

"I've never seen a place like this before." Elsa said.

"I have." Kristoff spoke up. All eyes immediately turned towards Kristoff, all wondering where he had seen something so incredibly grand.

Kristoff cleared his throat, ready to elaborate. "I've been to a similar place once in my life, albeit that it was much smaller. Like, the entrance cave small. It's where the trolls get their magic crystals. We call them crystal mines."

"How do you mine them?" Elsa asked. "This place looks pretty full of crystals to me."

"Well," Kristoff continued, "I've never really got my own crystal, but I've been told how. The crystals are made by some sort of magic, and when a troll is worthy, he or she may touch a crystal and a small piece of it breaks off for them. Many wear them to indicate their spiritual status, but we keep some spares."

"They'd be all over this place if they knew about it." Anna said.

"Uh, guys?" Olaf called out.

They all turned to the sound of his voice, seeing that he had wandered a few feet away from the group. He was standing in front of a sign that was about his height, with a wooden stake stuck to the ground and with a plank tied to the stake. The very appearance of the sign was incredibly odd. It didn't look like anyone has been through the cave in a while, or even if someone has been here at all. Everything in the mountain, including the passageways, seemed natural.

The group walked over to Olaf to see what he was looking at. Kristoff and Elsa kneeled on both sides of Olaf while Anna remained standing behind him. Sven and Bloom stood to the side of their friends.

"What is it?" Anna asked.

On the plank were markings in black. The markings all looked like dents made with knife that was filled in by black ink. Someone had written something on it. They all expected it to say something like "Beware" or "Go back". But, something else very strange was written on it.

The words on the plank read "This place is cursed to all who do not belong. Thievery will result in severe punishment. The crystals are the sole property of the trolls. Human contact with the crystals would be most unwise. - A" The A at the end was in a fancy, cursive writing which almost made it unreadable.

Kristoff read the words aloud as the others tried to analyze its meaning.

"Who's A?" Anna asked.

"It's just an initial." Elsa said. "But, whoever A is obviously doesn't want that many people messing with the crystals."

"Sounds like whoever this is is a troll." Kristoff said.

"What would a troll be doing so far out away from the others?" Olaf asked.

Then, Kristoff put it together. Without the initial, A, he wouldn't figure it out. But, with all of the information he had prior. It was inevitable that he would figure out who was responsible for the sign. Arthar. Who else but Arthar? The A stood for Arthar, and he was the one people could thank for the warning. If Arthar had passed here, it meant that they were going to the right place.

"Arthar." Kristoff said.

Elsa figured out his deduction and nodded in agreement. It took her one second to put the puzzle together.

"Of course." Elsa said. "He was the one to put the sign up. He doesn't want us messing with what's not ours."

"Well," Anna said, "it's not like we're taking anything."

"Besides," Kristoff added, "what could he possibly do to us here? I'm certain he,s far away from this place."

"I don't know." Elsa said. "But I, however, know one thing for sure. If you guys value your lives, don't touch anything pretty."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. If you're considering, please favorite or follow this story if you haven't done so already. It motivates me to keep doing what I'm doing. No QOTD this time.

Ciao.


	24. A Tomb for Thieves

**A Tomb for Thieves **

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"Well then," Kristoff said, "after knowing that cheery piece of information, I think it's best for us to get going. Where's the exit?"

They all scanned the cavern for an exit. Going back the way they came would be much easier and quicker, but it would however be the most unwise decision. Who knew what was still back there? The wolves could've been simply waiting them out, not knowing that the cave went deeper than what they perceived. Worst of all, Kai could probably be there, and if they were to confront him again, then there was no way that they would get as lucky as they were last time.

They all were able to spot the single exit approximately two hundred feet away from them at the base of the wall on the opposite end of the cave. They still had a long ways to go before they made it over there. Also, the sign advised immense caution. They needed to make it over there without touching a single crystal. Although, perhaps they just were not supposed to mine a crystal. It wasn't very clear on what they were and were not supposed to do. All they knew what to do was to not tamper with anything that wasn't their business.

Anna approached the edge of the elevated stone area they stood on. They all were approximately twenty five feet off of the ground, or at least, the lower level of the mountain. The placement of the rocks that piled from the side of the mountain to the ground was strange. It was as if they fell from the roof of the cave. Also, Anna couldn't help notice other large rocks of similar size and shape scattered around in different areas of the cave. There was not much indication on where they came from.

Anna looked up and found that the ceiling of the cave was very jagged and cratered. It was as if it was missing something that made it whole. Anna immediately understood what happened. The rocks all fell from the ceiling. But, something was particularly strange. If a natural disaster or event caused the rocks to fall, one would think that it would completely cave in. Something more precise happened as if only a select number of rocks were to fall. It was almost magical.

She wasn't keen on receiving death by rocks from above, and she was sure the others didn't want to share the same fate. If they were to mess with a crystal, the cave would be their tomb. They came so far, and they couldn't let it be for nothing. What kind of magic can sense human touch and force rocks to fall, Anna asked herself. Arthar was even stronger than they had imagined, assuming of course that he was involved with all of this.

That begged the question. If Arthar was so strong, then why would the trolls exile him, or why did he exile himself? The trolls couldn't risk losing such and asset, and he couldn't risk losing his only known family. There was obviously more missing pieces to the story which they hadn't figured out yet. Anna guessed that they needed to know from Arthar himself if they wanted to know the true story.

"It looks like the rocks will fall from the top if we do whatever with the crystals." Anna explained. "That's why there are so many random rocks everywhere."

"I don't get it." Elsa said. "Why did only a few rocks or boulders fall while most stayed in place?"

"There's an enchantment on this cave." Kristoff deduced. "Think about it. If the trolls meant for the cave to cave in completely after human contact with their crystals, the humans wouldn't be the only ones without crystal access."

"So, what're you saying?" Anna asked Kristoff.

"I'm saying that this is some sort of trap for humans." Kristoff said.

"Yeah," Elsa agreed, "they bait people with the pretty crystals, and after they're taken, the rocks will punish them." Elsa pointed to the rocks on the ground leading towards the exit. She wanted to emphasize their placement. "Their spacing is somewhat even." Elsa continued. "It's unnatural. I think that the rock fall will follow people on their way out and won't stop unless they're completely gone or have crushed them."

"This is cruel." Anna said. "It's ingenious, but cruel."

"Just cause someone wants to defend his crystals..." Kristoff muttered. "At least he gave us a warning."

"Yeah," Elsa said, "when we see Arthar, we should thank him for warning us about what can cause our apparent doom."

"What if he's the one who caused our doom?" Kristoff said to himself.

"What do you mean by that?" Anna asked.

"I've lived with trolls practically most of my life." Kristoff said. "I'll tell you now that they're among the most peaceful things that have ever walked the planet. Whatever enchantment is put on this cave is not very peaceful, so one would think that it wasn't a trolls doing."

"But this is troll property, apparently." Elsa said. "Why would someone go through so much trouble to protect something that isn't even theirs?"

"Exactly my point." Kristoff said. "No one else other than trolls are capable of doing this, and no one else other than a troll would even bother wanting to do this. Arthar, as we know, is the one who is most involved with this. Who else but Arthar could create such a spell? Knowing that he's willing to let humans die, we can deduce one thing."

"Just get to the point." Anna said.

"His point is," Elsa answered for Kristoff, "that Arthar is probably not the kindest soul who has ever walked the earth. We'll have to be careful around him. First, we should get past this death trap."

After that, not much was said regarding Arthar. They still had little information about him, and with the little they had, they could still tell that he probably wouldn't warm up to them as quickly as Pabbie did. They were hoping that he would act more like Pabbie, but two people were never exactly the same, and that would go the same for the trolls.

They began their descent with Sven going first. He had to climb carefully by placing both of his front hooves onto the next rock first, waiting a second to see if he was holding up well, and then moving forward so the rest of his body could descend. He was holding up pretty well with his wound, but he was still weakened and wasn't working in his optimum capacity. They were lucky that the rocks were placed so that they could easily hop from one rock down to a nearby one below. The drop between each rock was not very big at all as well, so Sven had that going for him which definitely made his life easier.

Kristoff climbed down with Sven, making sure that his friend wouldn't make a false move and slip. Elsa followed the two just in case her powers could become of use to them. She opted out of building an ice staircase that went down because Sven would attempt to walk on them, rather comically, but to no avail. They still all had a long ways to go before they reached the bottom from where they were, but safety was their priority.

Bloom had it easy. She simply flew down to the bottom of the pile of rocks and looked up at her friends, giving them encouraging hand gestures. Unfortunately for her, everyone else was too busy watching their footing than to look at Bloom's encouragements.

After a few minutes of descending down the rocks, they all managed to get to the bottom of the pile and onto the ground unscathed. It took way longer than it needed to, though. Sven's injury made the safety of his descend a priority. He was an important part of their lives, and no way would they just give him up. They intended on getting him to the mountain and back home so he can receive some proper medical treatment. However, probably by then his wounds will have had healed on their own.

They wondered how Kai did it. He would be able to climb down the rocks with ease and in no time flat. They all had to watch their steps and go through the rocks one at a time to get down. Kai, on the other hand, was more reckless yet still efficient. His recklessness equaled a better descending speed. Watching Kai descend the rocks would've been quite a show since he would've pulled some cool tricks while doing it.

They all wished that they had the same skills as Kai. Growing up the way he did, he was taught to be a master of the environment, and had to be able to move swiftly around whatever terrain he was. Whether he was climbing buildings, running on top of rooftops, climbing mountains, or running on the branches of trees, he always made it look as easy as walking. The entire journey so far would have been easy for Kai. But they weren't Kai.

When Anna's feet landed on the ground, her eyes instantly drifted towards something incredibly disturbing next to her feet. Sticking out from under the rock she just hopped off of was the skeletal forearm of someone. The bones were grey, meaning the skeleton has been there for quite a while. It's hand was clenched tight, and it was grasping a small green crystal.

"Poor fool..." Anna said. The others heard her and looked over at why she said that. Their eyes eventually saw the forearm.

"He only had one crystal." Elsa said. "And that caused this rock-fall."

"So," Kristoff said, "I guess we shouldn't touch- Olaf!"

"Why would we touch Olaf?" Anna asked.

They all turned their heads towards Olaf who stood a few yards away from them. In his hand was a shimmering blue crystal. His eyes were fixated on it with such curiosity. Then, he registered the yelling of his name into his brain and innocently looked over at Kristoff.

"What?" Olaf asked.

"What part of don't touch anything do you not understand?" Kristoff asked, angrily.

"Oh, I wasn't listening." Olaf said. "Can you say it again?"

Kristoff slapped his forehead with his hand and sighed in disbelief. He loved Olaf a lot, but sometimes his attention span and comprehension made Kristoff want to pluck his head off of his body and kick it into the ocean.

"If we touch a crystal," Kristoff explained, "then the rocks will crush us to death. We know this because of the clues all over and the warning given to us by Arthar."

"Mm hm." Olaf said while nodding. "Uno ves mas, por favor. I wasn't listening, I was thinking of something else."

Kristoff turned to Elsa standing behind him.

"You couldn't have built him with a bigger brain?" Kristoff asked.

"To be honest," Elsa said, "he was a complete accident."

"Where did he learn Spanish?" Anna asked herself.

Elsa ignored Anna and took a step closer next to Kristoff so that she was closer to Olaf.

"Arthar did say that human contact was unwise." Elsa said. "Olaf isn't a human."

"I'm human on the inside." Olaf said, putting both hands over his chest.

"So," Elsa continued, "I guess the rule doesn't apply to him. I guess we're safe just as long as you or me or Anna don't touch anything."

Everything about the cave was now confirmed. There was no doubts about anything anymore. Elsa went through and reviewed the specifications of everything in her head. No one was allowed to take anything from the cave. No one would be able to go as far as stealing since the cave would react in a dangerous way if human contact was made with a crystal. Other forms of life could make contact with the crystals. But, if humans did ever make contact, they'd better run.

It would be a two hundred foot walk from where they were at the base of the rock pile to the end of the cavern on the far other side. The path would have many other rocks which came from the roof and they all had a good chance of having a person crushed beneath them. Also, they had to remind themselves to watch where they stepped. Who knew whether or not human shoe contact would set off the enchantment. They were starting to wish that Arthar would be more specific on everything.

Small talk was scarce as they walked through the cave. Everyone was too busy looking down at the ground ahead of their feet to actually think of something to talk about. It was yet again another matter of life and death. They seriously hated those. Not too many days ago, they would've been at home embraced in the comforts of their bed and bed sheets. Now, however, they were having trouble keeping themselves alive much less than in comfort.

Anna's thoughts were especially scattered. Her thoughts made her incredibly unfocused, but she tried her best to not touch any crystals. There were a few small ones she passed by but they were not at all inconspicuous and were easily avoidable. However, because of her thoughts, who knew what could accidentally happen.

Lena. It has been about two days since she last saw her daughter's face. Perhaps more. Perhaps less. Time was hard to tell considering their current situation. She knew that she had to get from point A to point B, but however much time passed them was a big variable. A variable that Anna had failed to discover. The constant amount of danger and the lack of sleep made everything feel like one long, bad day. It could've been daytime as she and the others made it past the cave. She couldn't remember exactly how long they've been in the cave, but she could tell that morning was going to come soon.

In the middle of her frustrated thoughts, Anna failed to watch her footing well. Her mind was suddenly interrupted by the falling sensation given when tripping. Her foot had tripped on a steep bump that shot out of the ground. When she fell, she felt her hand touch something smooth but hard. The others turned to her when they heard the thud when she touched the ground.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asked.

"Watch your step next time." Kristoff advised.

"I know." Anna said. "I know. I'm sorry, but-"

The entire cave suddenly shook violently. Some of the crystals that were connected to the sides of the wall began to crack. The rocks and pebbles on the ground all vibrated. The roof of the cave looked like it was prepared to collapse down on them completely. Small rocks and dirt or dust fell from the ceiling. A rock barely missed Anna's body.

"Oh no." Elsa said, looking up and seeing the cracks growing on the ceiling. Soon enough, rocks would be falling like rain.

Anna registered what that smooth thing was that she touched in her mind. She removed her cupped hand from off of the ground and found a tiny blue crystal. What have I done, Anna thought to herself. If the rocks were to be able to crush her and her family like it had for numerous people before her, it would be her fault. She would be the cause of death to her family.

She had half a mind to apologize, but before she did so, something large above her advised her to just wait on that. It wasn't until Kristoff yelled for Anna to dodge that she actually obliged. A large rock about twice the size of Anna's body broke and fell from the ceiling. Anna looked up just in time to glimpse it coming her way. Since she was already on the ground, she rolled to the side and found herself a few feet away from where she originally was. There, the rock hit the ground and shattered into many other smaller chunks of rocks.

"We can't stay here." Anna said.

"You don't say." Kristoff replied.

The group all broke into a run, including Sven who was faring a tad better than he was a while ago. Kristoff was in the front, followed by Elsa, then Sven, and finally Anna who was the unfortunate one since the others got a slight head start. They all didn't run in a straight line but ran close enough to each other so that two of them would be able to dodge the same rock. Bloom was flying slower than she could so that she could keep an eye on her friends and make sure that they were alright. Kristoff had Olaf in one arm knowing Olaf couldn't run amazingly fast. Olaf had his face facing the ceiling, hoping to warn the others about incoming rocks.

Olaf pointed up at the ceiling a few feet in front of him and Kristoff. "Rock!" Olaf announced.

Kristoff knew that he couldn't run fast enough to be ahead of the rock when it touched the ground. It was already in the midst of falling. So, when he felt it getting closer, he jumped backwards. Sure enough, the large rock that was three times his size landed in front of him. The others were forced to stop abruptly.

"Around!" Kristoff exclaimed, without needing to elaborate on what he meant. The rock landed in about the middle of the open which was still quite wide. A few yards of space was free on both sides of the rock and between the walls. Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf ran to the left side while the others ran to the right side.

Afterword, they all ran in a straight line in a bolt to the exit. The ground was still shaking beneath their feet. Both parties were a few yards apart and were not ready to regroup. But, a large rock that was falling in midair a few yards in front of Anna, Sven, and Bloom was what changed their mind. If they kept running straight, the rock would crush them for sure. Anna was lucky to spot it. She moved to the left and joined the rest of the group, and the others followed her example.

Not only did they have to run while trying to avoid the giant rocks, but the smaller ones proved just as much of a threat. One hit to the head and they would be down before they knew it. It prevent that, they covered their heads with their hands as they ran, making sure that their heads were safe.

"Oh, that's not good." Kristoff said.

Ahead of them, a large green crystal about twenty feet tall and seven feet wide broke off of the wall and leaned to the side. In a second or two, the green crystal would topple over and fall flat on the ground. They had to be sure to be in front of it when it did.

"Run faster!" Kristoff ordered.

The others didn't argue. Why should they? It was life and death. Kristoff slightly accelerated his speed slightly as he was already running faster than he normally would. Elsa didn't think she could run any faster than she already did. Instead, she thought of something crazy in her head that might just work. While running, she jumped, and while in midair, she aimed her hands to the ground and shot a stream of ice. When she landed, she found herself on a platform of ice. She then aimed her hands behind her back and shot streams of ice. The platform of ice she was standing on accelerated quickly and it sped like a bullet.

Elsa soon found herself sliding in front of Kristoff by a foot or two. Anna ran three yards behind Kristoff. Sven was in front of Anna. Bloom flew next to Sven.

Anna barely made it when the giant crystal fell flat on the ground with it's long side facing the ground. Anna only barely got in front of it by an inch as it almost caught her heel. The force of the fall made the crystal shatter upon impact however. The crystal broke into a million pieces, and Anna was not fast enough to run away from crystals that fell on her like a tide. She was pushed to the ground where a few layers of crystals buried her back.

The others turned to see what had just happened and had horror in their faces when they saw Anna's situation. To top that, due to the enchantment, a large rock broke from the ceiling above Anna and prepared to fall. She would be crushed unless she could get out of those crystals on time.

Before Kristoff could start running, Elsa turned her ice board and sped towards Anna as fast as the eye could see. When she neared Anna, she hopped off the left side of her board and landed flawlessly next to Anna and the large pile of crystals. She then immediately began to push layers of crystals off of Anna while Anna struggled to get free.

Elsa looked up at the rock that she saw break off of the ceiling earlier. It was twenty or thirty feet above them in midair, meaning that it would impact on the ground in a few seconds. It was longer than she originally took it for with it being about fifteen feet long but only five feet wide. Luckily, Elsa managed to free Anna just before the rock hit them but only just. Anna scrambled to her feet and Elsa took her hand. The sisters lunged forward and barely missed the rock that had just hit the pile of crystals.

That wasn't the end of it, though. The rock began to topple over the girls who ran for their lives. Another lucky thing was that they barely managed to escape it. The rock was only an inch away from their heels.

"Oh, that was close." Anna said.

"Don't jinx it!" Elsa ordered.

Lucky for them, they were able to see the exit from where they were with it being only about one hundred and fifty meters away. It seemed to not immediately lead out into the open outside, but rather another smaller passageway. There was always the possibility that it would be a dead end and they could end up trapped at the end of it, but they had to try. Going back wasn't an option. They were too far deep to go back.

Kristoff and the others were ahead from Anna and Elsa by quite a distance. They entered the opening before Anna and Elsa were even one hundred meters away from it. They turned back, waiting for the girls to catch up, but Elsa motioned for them to go by swiping her arm in front of her. Kristoff wanted to protest, but he figured that there would be nothing he could do to help them. Not going anywhere wasn't going to help them at all.

Kristoff, with Olaf in his arms, led Sven and Bloom into the passageway as Elsa and Anna neared it. The open space between them and the opening looked incredibly promising as they could not see many obstacles ahead. But, just as they thought that it was going to be easy, two giant long rocks on both sides of the cave broke off of the walls. They resembled pillars by a lot. The biggest problem was that they were at the very end of the walls, meaning if both fell down and landed on the ground, the passage would be blocked for both Anna and Elsa.

"Go!" Elsa said. "Go!"

Anna ran immediately. She ran faster than she could ever imagined that she could. It seemed as though her maximum speed varied per dangerous event.

Elsa was not far behind Anna. She was only two yards behind her sister. In good time, they could make it to the passage. Unfortunately for them, the pillars were falling quicker than they could ever think rocks could fall. One of them was toppling down faster than the other so they wouldn't be able to lean on each other to stop the fall. The pillar was approximately five feet above the top of the opening when Anna made it through.

Elsa was not so lucky as to swiftly run through the opening. The bottom of the pillar was low enough so that she was forced to drop and slide into the passage. The pillar fell and closed the opening right after the tip of Elsa's hair got passed it.

The snow queen then extended her arms and continued to lay on the ground, panting heavily. Anna was bending over with her hands over her knees, panting just as heavily as her sister. The ground and walls were still shaking but at least the rocks stopped falling in the passage. The passage was rather small as it was only about six feet wide and nine feet tall.

"Come on." Anna said. "Let's go find the others."

Elsa nodded and got up. The sisters then began to run down the path to who knew where.

Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, and Bloom knew where though. Kristoff ran down the path for about a minute until they saw the end of it. The end of the passage or tunnel led to the outside where the sky was a dark blue, signifying that dawn was going to come soon. Had they really been in the cave for that long? Kristoff was surprised how fast time flies by when things start to kill you. At least the shaking of the mountain stopped completely. Hopefully that meant it was no longer trying to kill them.

"The exit." Kristoff announced to the others. He started to run towards it. At that point, Olaf was on his own two feet, but he was at the back of the group.

When Kristoff reached the exit, he stopped at the edge. He cursed himself for not seeing it sooner. The exit was practically a hole on the side of the mountain about one hundred meters off of the ground. Below them was a small lake or at least a natural water deposit. There were no ladders or anything around the hole they were in.

"Jeez!" Kristoff yelled, just as he was about to fall down into the river below. Lucky for him, Sven bit the back of his clothes, preventing Kristoff from falling over.

"Thanks buddy." Kristoff said.

Now safe from falling, Kristoff stood at the edge of the opening, trying to see what he could spot. In the distance, behind a whole lot of forest and trees, he could see the silhouette of a mountain. A large mountain. It easily was two or three times larger than the North Mountain which they had passed earlier. It also was no more than a day's hike away.

"Well, why don't you look at that?" Kristoff said to himself. "Mount Cae-"

He was distracted by the sounds of rapid footsteps behind him. Before he could register what was happening, it was already too late. Anna and Elsa weren't paying attention to what was in front of them so they accidentally slammed into Olaf and Sven. Sven, startled, was accidentally pushed into Kristoff. Kristoff was pushed off of the side of the mountain and fell towards the river below.

"OH SHIIIIIIIII-" Kristoff could finish his word because he splashed into the water.

Sven, unfortunately, slipped off the side next and he grunted loudly on his way down. They were lucky that the lake was deep and not shallow. Olaf was accidentally kicked by Anna and he dropped down into the river after Sven. Both Anna and Elsa tripped over each other when they hit Sven and fell onto the ground where they rolled off of the side.

"AHHHHHH." Both Anna and Elsa said at the same.

Bloom was the only one who wasn't pushed over. She looked down below at the water and winced when the girls splashed. She decided it best to help them and flew down to aid.

They were all lucky that they could swim, otherwise they would have drown. It was a miracle that Olaf didn't dissolve in the water like most snow was supposed to.

One by one, they all got to the grassy land. The lake and it's bank were at the bottom of a grassy hill that led up about ten yards. It was flat at the top and onward. They were lucky that the hill was not that steep otherwise it would've been very hard to get up there.

Kristoff watched as Sven and Olaf swam out of the lake and onto the bank. Kristoff then sat down and crossed his legs with a less than amused face. He watched as Elsa and Anna crawled onto the bank. Everyone was soaking wet. Elsa stood up and squeezed the water out of her hair by twisting it while Anna took off one of her boots and dumped the water out. She did the same for the other but for some reason a fish also came out.

"Well, that was fun." Anna said.

"To be honest," Elsa said, "we all needed a bath."

Kristoff then spit a fish and water out of his mouth. "Why don't we ever have things easy?"

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter! Reviews for the last chapter were incredibly light, so let's change that for this one. Review/comment as always! I think we're about halfway done with the story at this point so then I can go to my next project whatever it is.

I am yet to introduce another main character to the story. This character will show up pretty soon, too. I won't tell if it's a good or bad guy. What do you guys thinkg he or she will be like? I want to hear your guesses!

The time has come where I have decide what I want to do for my life so that's why I have been avoiding writing for a while. I do know that I want to work for the entertainment industry as a script writer or something else like that.

**QOTD: What kind of ending do you want to see or you think you'll see for this story? Do you want to see a happy one? A unique but not necessarily joyful one? A realistic one? I know the ending of this story and it's unique in my opinion. Whether it's happy or sad is up to you guys to decide when you read it. **

Ciao.


	25. The Archer

**The Archer**

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Only when the first sign of sunlight appeared upon the bank did they consider leaving. Even then, they all weren't fully dry. Their little dip into the lake made things more uncomfortable for them than things already were. Of course, comfort was something that was incredibly scarce considering where they were. The wild was not a place for royalty, yet there they were, almost dying countless amount of times. Anna wanted to make sure that they were going to stay away from the wild for quite a while. Perhaps a lifetime if they were lucky.

When the morning sunlight shone brightly on a large rock that sat beside the bank, Anna suggested that they take off their clothes and lay them on there to dry. Both Elsa and Kristoff refused the idea almost instantly. For one thing, they were going to be too exposed out in the wild. For another, the siblings-in-law weren't incredibly comfortable with each other without wearing any clothes. Even when Anna brought up the fact that they would still have undergarments on, that still didn't make things any more comfortable.

They all settled with resting on the bank for an hour or two, using that time to get some rest. They needed it. It had seemed that the wolves only attacked about one and a half hours ago for them, and since morning light was already showing, they meant that they were going to go to sleep very late at night. The night before that they went to sleep in their usual bedtimes. They must have walked for an incredible amount of hours.

Kristoff was, surprisingly, the one to request that they rest at the bank for more than an hour. The irony was that he was usually the one to encourage the others to keep moving. Elsa was the one to deny that request, knowing how close Kai could have been. What was the whole point of resting if they weren't going to use that energy? Kai would get them before they made a mile.

"Besides," Elsa argued, "you said you saw Mount Caelum up there." Elsa pointed up towards the opening where they fell off of and plummeted into the lake. "We're closer than ever."

"It looked like it was a good fifty miles away." Kristoff said. "Do you have the energy to walk another fifty miles?"

"Yes." Elsa said. "If I must, I will. Kai is faster alone than we are together. He could be here any minute which is why we have to go soon."

"Elsa," Kristoff said, "you might have the will to walk that far, but the rest of us don't. We've been running and running nonstop for the past few days with only a sliver of sleep to get us going."

Anna watched as Elsa and Kristoff went back and forth with this. She wondered why they couldn't just get along like she did with both of them. She hated it whenever they fought. She dreaded the day when she was going to have to choose sides. No one should be forced to choose between two people whom they love. It was cruel. It tested that love and it was a test to see who deserved more affection. Anna weighted her options in her hands. On one side, she had her sister whom she had known since birth. On the other side she had her husband who was the father of her daughter. Tough choices indeed.

"You saw what happened back there." Elsa told Kristoff. "The inner path through the mountain is now impassable. The only two ways he can get over the mountain is if he climbed it or if he goes around. Neither option seems to be very quick."

"For one thing," Kristoff countered, "you're right. Yes, it'll take time for him. Time we can use to rest and make sure our feet won't be sore for the journey."

"Time we're wasting for not getting a head start." Elsa said. "He'll catch up with us sooner or later. We need to make sure we're far away from him so that it doesn't happen."

The last thing Elsa wanted to do was have another encounter with Kai. Mostly because it was way too painful for her. He would attack with no idea what he was doing and with the wrong reason to do it. Elsa would scream words to try to make him stop even though, in the end, the words would be as empty as the house of a widow. She saw it best to only encounter Kai when the time was right. The time would be right when they were sure that they knew how to fix whatever was wrong with him. Whatever the matter was, however, someone was pulling the strings. After Kai was dealt with, Elsa intended to find out whom.

Kristoff saw that his side of the argument was better for the benefit of the group. He saw Kai as as much of a danger to them all that Elsa thought he was. Kai was a threat, no doubt about it. But, Kristoff didn't see Kai the way Elsa saw him. His conviction for the mission was completely different than Elsa's conviction. His priority was protection and saving lives. Kristoff didn't know whether or not he was selfless or selfish for thinking that he would rather have everyone in one piece and with Kai an amnesiac maniac rather than having Kai back to what he was at the cost of a life. He didn't think the entire journey would be worth it if one were to die.

"We're all tired now, Elsa." Kristoff said. "Rest is essential."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Elsa said, "but weren't you the one to encourage us to keep on going not too long ago?"

"Yeah," Kristoff said, "but now that we've been attacked by wolves, almost mauled to death by a bear, and forced to run away from rocks, I've changed my mind. Correct me if _I'm _wrong, but aren't you the one to encourage us to take a rest not too long ago?"

"That was when I still thought not everything in this god-forsaken place was trying to murder us." Elsa said. "I highly doubt that that trend is not going to change."

"So, what?" Kristoff said. "You want us to face death tired and weak?"

Elsa opened her mouth to call Kristoff something that Lena should never hear any of them say, but Anna stood up and got between the two. She placed one hand on each of the two's chests and pushed them farther back away from each other. She had enough of the nonsense of going back and forth with no one winning the argument. Anna did learn something from it, though. Elsa could be more cold than she realized.

"Enough!" Anna said. "You two, stop with the fighting. The past few days have been rough on all of us. You two fighting definitely doesn't make our situation any better. One second, we're running away from wolves, and the next, you two are fighting over who gets to play the damn leader like you guys are kids. At this rate, you two might as well go ahead and kill each other and don't give nature that opportunity. Meet a compromise like adults and solve this problem without yelling at the top of our lungs. So, what's it going to be?"

Both Elsa and Kristoff were stunned at Anna's little speech. They had totally forgotten that Anna had opinions too. They felt like they were throwing around Anna's fate and life like it was a toy not to be dealt with seriously. Well, mostly Elsa felt that way. Kristoff thought what he thought to protect Anna. He did admit to himself that it was wrong on his part to assume Anna's limitations.

"No more than two hours." Elsa said. "I'm counting."

"Fine by me." Kristoff said.

The two didn't speak much after coming up with a compromise for their current problem. It seemed, though, that Kristoff got more of his way than Elsa did. An hour or two of rest was better than none at all. The rest was essential for them, too. It wasn't healthy to go on a dangerous journey like theirs with no sleep at all. Well, Elsa could only blame herself for wanting to go on without rest. As a child, she would stay up many nights, too afraid to go to sleep. She was used to the lack of rest. The others, however, were not.

Anna was glad that she could be the mediator for the entire thing. Who knew what could have happened if she had let the two go beyond arguing with their voices. If it ever came down to a physical problem between the two, which probably would never happen, then Anna feared for Kristoff's health. There wasn't much he could do against a queen who could manipulate frozen water.

Kristoff took advantage of the little time they had to rest. He laid on the grassy ground beside the bank on his back. Kristoff put his arms under his head and closed his eyes to take a short nap. Sven lay besides him, doing his best to take a nap of his own. Anna, on the other hand, wanted to take in and enjoy the serene place around them while she still had the chance. She took off her boots and socks, leaving her feet bare, and dipped her feet into the water while she sat on the bank. Bloom saw a lily-pad floating on top of the lake and flew onto it, laid on her back, and began to snooze. Olaf went around the area trying to see if there were any flowers he could pick before they all died when winter came.

Elsa, with nothing else to do, decided that she might as well join her sister for some one and one talk. She reckoned that they might as well enjoy each others' company as much as they could because the likeliness of them dying was getting stronger and stronger every day.

Before Elsa even stepped into the bank, she heard a whoosh sound behind her. Elsa didn't even bother turning around to see the origin of that sound because she instantly realized what it was when she saw the arrow that had dug into the ground right next to Anna's hand. Anna, who was incredibly startled, let out a scream that woke Kristoff, Bloom, and Sven and got Olaf's attention.

Elsa instantly thought that someone was trying to kill them and turned around, facing the slope of the hill. Trees surrounded most of the hill except for the area in front of Elsa. At the top of the hill, Elsa saw a figure. Only the legs were visible as the body was in the shade of the trees.

The queen formed ice around her hands and prepared to shoot a blast at their attacker, but an arrow flew straight from the attacker and past her hair. Elsa saw a couple strands fall down.

"That was a warning shot." Said the attacker. It was definitely male. The voice, however, didn't sound like it belonged to that of a killer. If the voice matched the face, the man would be fairly handsome.

At that point, the others were already awake and facing the attacker. Everyone was too scared to move, knowing that that movement could be their last.

"Try anything funny," the archer said, "and the next arrow I'll shoot won't cut hair."

"So what?" Anna asked. "You're just going to kill us?"

"No." The archer said. "But trust me, you're not going to want to provoke me."

Kristoff snorted, confidently. "You don't have the guts to-" Before Kristoff could finish that thought, an arrow past by his head and he felt a sudden pain on his ear. The arrow had grazed it, and blood began to drip down.

"Anyone else?" The archer asked. He then looked over and found Olaf. Although they couldn't see, the archer raised an eyebrow. "Is that a snowman?" He asked.

Anna smiled, smugly. She had a possible way of getting the archer off of their backs. Surely he has heard of Elsa. No one on earth has not heard of Elsa. If he knew that he would be messing with the queen of ice herself, there was no way he would not back off.

"It sure is." Anna said, answering the archer's question. "Do you know who we are?"

"Your faces do not seem familiar." The archer answered. "Your names will probably be a different story."

"I am Anna." Anna said. "Princess Anna of Arendelle. She," Anna pointed to Elsa, "is my sister, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Or the Snow Queen if you prefer."

The archer didn't say much after that statement. But, he did something they did not expect. They were sure that the archer would just stick to the shadows. But, instead, he stepped out for some reason. He took a few steps onto the slope, still having the higher ground. He had a brown bow and an arrow strung on it in his hands. He was rather tall, being about Kristoff's height if not taller. His build was not as stocky as Kristoff, but still muscular. He was probably more muscular than Kai. The archer was clad in brown and grey, with most of his clothes being dark grey with brown outlines and patterns. It looked leather.

He was rather handsome, as well. His hair was black, like Kai's, but his eyes were a dark brown. He possessed a scar that ran from the bottom of the far left side of his lip and onto his chin. His facial hair was not fully developed, but it was scruffy all around his chin and above his lip. He was definitely in his early to mid thirties.

"Tell me." The man asked. "What business does royalty have in the middle of this forest. The highest traveled point is usually the North Mountain."

"I could ask the same thing." Elsa said. "Why is there an archer in this place?"

"My business is my own." The archer answered.

"Then our business is not your concern." Elsa rebutted.

"Fair enough." The archer said. "We're a long way away from Arendelle, your majesty."

"It's funny." Elsa said. "I'm not used to being called 'Your Majesty' when someone's pointing an arrow at me."

"This is just a precaution." The archer said. "It's my only protection against your powers, so you'll forgive me if I keep it up."

The archer then pointed his arrow at Kristoff who backed up cautiously with his arms in front of him in a motion that told the archer to calm down.

"Who's that?" The archer asked, referring to Kristoff. "You're butler?"

"I'll have you know that I'm the Royal Ice Master and Deliverer." Kristoff said.

"And is that supposed to mean something?" The archer asked.

"We don't want any trouble." Kristoff said, desperate to avoid going through that conversation for the hundredth time.

"Neither do I." The archer said.

"Well," Anna added, "in that case, maybe we can work something out Mr..."

"Rhys." The archer answered. "I only tell you my name because I know that there's nothing you can do with it." (pronounced Reese)

"Right." Anna said. "Rhys, we're kind of doing something important."

"It must be important if it required your personal presence." Rhys said. "What could be so important that you needed to go past the North Mountain. Truth be told, I don't see many people pass by here. But, I see your guys are on a journey or an adventure for the thrills. I used to be an adventurer like you once, until I-"

"What?" Kristoff asked, amused. "Until you took an arrow to the knee?"

"Of course not." Rhys said. "Until I understood that there was nothing for me in that life."

"Well," Elsa said, eager to advance the conversation, "good manners would encourage you to not harm your only visitors in a while."

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Rhys said.

They could hear him tighten the shot on his bow. They didn't know what to think of Rhys. His actions seemed incredibly antagonistic but his words spoke otherwise. He sounded very neutral towards them, but if so, why would he still keep his arrow fixed in them. Rhys had promised to not kill them, but there were still many things one could do with a bow and arrows that don't involve killing.

Anna wanted to be the next to ask a question. She wasn't sure whether or not Elsa's words would be enough to sooth the demeanor of the archer. She had a few questions of her own, and if answered, they could get a better sense on where Rhys stood on the morality meter.

"How did you find us?" Anna asked.

"You guys took the inner path of that mountain." Rhys answered. "I assume that one of you foolishly touched a crystal and that led to the rocks falling, correct?"

They were stunned at how much he knew. Rhys must've lived around the area for quite a while if he knew the secrets to the cave and the specifics of it all. There wasn't much more evidence for them to assume that he was a master of the forest. This was his terrain, and they just waltz right into it.

"Well," Anna said, "how did you know that the rocks were falling?"

"The vibrations of the mountain do not go far, but they go far enough. It may feel like an earthquake for me, but I know better." Rhys answered. "I lost one of my men passing through that cave. I managed to get my supplies past the mountain before that idiot grabbed that damned crystal."

Now that she thought about it, Anna recalled seeing the forearm of someone sticking out from under a huge rock. It wasn't fully just bones and it looked like it was decaying. That was probably Rhys' man. He must have passed through there not so long ago. But, what was he after? Like Rhys said, not many people have business past the North Mountain. What could this place possibly have that required his own presence?

That wasn't the only thing that bothered Anna. Rhys said one of his men. He said one, not his only man. That meant that Rhys had more with him.

And that meant that they were not alone.

"Are there more with you?" Anna asked.

"I have less men than I see before me." Rhys answered. "And I have none whom I trust."

That sounded like the truth. Their entire encounter, it sounded like Rhys was saying nothing but the truth. Unfortunately, that still didn't help them to place him somewhere. The man was still a mystery. A puzzle that needed to be solved. They weren't sure if they would rather solve the puzzle and see something ugly, or to not even give it a try.

"Well," Kristoff said, "nice meeting you, Rhys. I hope you have luck in... Whatever you're trying to do. I hate to cut our time together short, but we best keep going. We're kind of running on a clock."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Rhys said. "I'm not at a personal liberty to allow you to see my business. It is something I don't want the eyes of royalty to fall upon."

Elsa was just wowed by his way of speaking. He spoke with such dignity and nobility. He was more fancy than she could ever speak herself. She didn't know whether to be jealous or embarrassed.

"We're not interested in invading in your personal affairs." Elsa said. "I would personally rather just think of this entire encounter as a minor hiccup on our journey that you and I could easily out behind us."

"You don't seem to be getting it yet." Rhys said. "I can't just let you pass with the very limited information I have on you and your journey."

"I am Queen of Arendelle." Elsa said. "I command you to stand down and lower your bow or else you will be considered an enemy of the kingdom for defiance of the word of the Queen. I am not playing around when I request easy passage through you."

She was losing her temper. They were wasting time. If he could feel the mountain shake, then surely Kai could have felt the same thing as well. Although Kai didn't know about the reasons why the mountain shook and could perceive it as no more than a mere earthquake, he could still confirm that he was going on the right path. They couldn't risk losing time for Kai's advantage.

"You own the kingdom." Rhys said. "You own the castle, you rule over your houses, and you command your citizens. You do not own the forest. The wild creatures here bow to no one, much less a queen. The trees here do not grow as you command. The mountains will not move under your order. I am not of Arendelle. I do not do business with the city. You have no jurisdiction over me. Here, in the forest, is where the wild rules. Here is where I have mastered the terrain. Here is where I do my business, which, believe it or not, will benefit someone in the end. I am not sure whether or not you were ever telling the truth for anything, but I can tell you now that I have been rather honest with you. Forgive me for my caution, but your future actions could be the downfall of all I have done and worked for. You cannot excessive your power here, understand that. But, when I ask one simple question, I expect you to oblige. Now, what say you?"

Elsa prepared to shoot a blast of ice at Rhys. She didn't care how good of a shot he was. She hoped that she was better. Their lives depended on it. Rhys was becoming more and more antagonistic towards them as time flew by. The easy way to avoid violence was to just tell him the truth about their goals, but they couldn't trust him with that information. For all they knew, he could've been an accomplice of Kai.

"You want to know what I say?" Elsa asked, determined to put the guy in an ice cube.

Before she could shoot a blast of ice, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head as if she was hit by a blunt object.

Elsa blacked out.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hoped you guys liked the chapter. Like always, comment/review to let me know your thoughts on the chapter.

I meant to put chapters out there more frequently than I have, but unfortunately my time to write has been scarce. I don't want you guys to keep wondering when I'll post the next chapter, so from now on, I'll post chapter writing progress on my profile page. If you're ever wondering my completion of the next chapter, check it out on my profile. The percentage I've put up, however, is only an estimation on how finished I think the chapter is, but, it's better than nothing. I'll also probably add the release date of the next chapter under the percentage if I'm certain about it.

**QOTD: Do you know any songs that would fit the mood of Phoenix Fire? The Coming Storm? A Sky of Shadows? If so, explain why you chose the song. You can also choose a song that would fit in a trailer for my stories.**

Ciao.


	26. Robin Hood

**Robin Hood**

* * *

It was around mid-day when Elsa came to. She had lost consciousness not many hours ago, remembering that the sun was barely rising when it happened to her. She had no idea what had happened to her, and judging by the fact that no one was trying to rouse her in the time between her knocking out and rousing, the others were taken out too. Whoever did it must've been incredibly sneaky and silent to have done it without anyone noticing. He or she also must've been fairly skilled if able to take Sven, Kristoff, and Anna out without raising the alarm of another.

The description of that attacker, however, seemed vaguely familiar. Eerily familiar. There was only one person Elsa knew personally that could be able to pull of tricks like that, and he wasn't currently on their side. Oh no, Elsa thought. They were too late. They have wasted too much time. Kai had caught up to them and caught them off guard.

Elsa's head was still hurting like it was on fire. She didn't know how swollen it was, but she suspected that it was by a fair deal. Unable to function her head properly, she groggily looked around to see what had become of her.

Only when she saw that she was kneeling did she realize that she was captured. She looked around again to get a better sense of where she was, and what she saw did not bring a smile to her face at all.

She was in another forest clearing. It seemed these patches of land were more common than wolf attacks in Arendelle. The clearing wasn't the biggest one she had been in, but certainly not the smallest. It was ovular, being about thirty feet wide and half that distance in width. In the center of the clearing was a campfire with dry, black wood, indicating that it was unused for about a day. Two small green tents were set up right next to each other. Two people called this their home.

For some reason, there was a small desk set up a few feet away from the campfire. On it was a chest which seemed to be overstuffed with papers, a quill for writing and its jar of ink, and a small stack of unused paper. Whatever business needed of it was beyond her understanding.

The real eye father, though, was the gold. In front of and besides the desk were small boxes with sheets covering them. There were about three boxes stacked on top of each other on each stack, rising up to be about four feet high per pile. The sheets were supposed to cover the contents of the boxes, but the boxes on the top were overfilled so that the contents inside were easily distinguishable. Gold. Gold coins, diamonds, bracelets, necklaces, and other valuables. Each box was filled with the stuff. There so many boxes, and if that many boxes all had gold, well, whoever owned it was a lucky man.

Elsa could feel her back pressed against something hard. She realized that she was tied to a tree, with her arms wrapped around behind her by stone handcuffs. She could see Anna and Kristoff tied up to trees on her left and right respectively. Was in an open part of the clearing two yards away from Anna with his snout covered in leather and his ankles all chained together, and the chain was nailed to the ground.

She then spotted three bags which were small enough to fit human heads. Noticing that two of them were moving and one of them letting out muffled sounds, she could only assume that they contained the different pieces of Olaf.

Wherever Bloom was was a complete mystery. Elsa couldn't see anything which would give her a clue as to where their fairy and guide was.

Only when she heard the soft voices did she realize that Rhys and some other man was in the clearing. The two men stood with their backs facing their hostages, and their fronts facing the campfire. It was obvious that it was Rhys because of the bow and quiver of arrows strung across his back. It looked to Elsa that he had his arms crossed and was looking down at the campfire.

She didn't know who the other person was, nor could she see his face. For a second, she was scared that it was Kai, but after a few more seconds of examining him from behind, there was no way that it could be Kai.

Elsa was too out of to clearly hear a single word out of their mouths. Their conversation was obviously not meant for anyone besides the two to hear.

"I told you to wait until I gave the signal, Gren." Rhys told his acquaintance.

Rhys then gave an angry look at his ally, Gren. Gren was short, being about five feet tall. However, he was that way only because his back some somewhat hunched. He was incredibly skinny with pale skin with a greenish complexion so he looked like he had been sick his entire life and the term health being completely alien to him. He had greasy black hair that was pulled back and it seemed full of dirt and mud. His nose was large and crooked which could match his personality. His grey eyes matched the joy in his life. The fact that each and every single one of his teeth was either crooked, yellow, or broken proved how much he cared about his hygiene. Rhys barely handled the smell of him. He looked like someone people should never trust their children with, and his black leather clothes just added to that negative affect.

"That girl was going to blast you with her powers of sorcery, my friend." Gren said. His voice sounded cowardly.

"I told you," Rhys said, angrily, "we are not friends. We are merely assisting each other for a common goal, and after that, we'll split the treasure into what we agreed on, and part ways."

"You're getting two thirds of it all at the end of the day, including our desired piece of treasure." Gren argued. "Tell me? How is that fair for me?"

Rhys then grabbed Gren by the neck with one hand and squeezed. Gren did his best to try to get out of his hold, but Rhys was simply too strong.

"If there's one thing I've learned," Rhys said, "it's never be fair with a snake. Do not think I have forgotten about that night where you attempted to slit my throat while I slept."

Gren gritted his teeth. He remembered that night fondly. He had snuck into Rhys' tent, believing that he no longer needed Rhys. But, Rhys was more alert than Gren had given him credit for. Gren rubbed his right hand with his left. His entire right hand was burned and scarred thanks to Rhys and the campfire.

Rhys, who pitied the poor man, let the man live, also seeing the usefulness Gren could still prove.

"I haven't forgotten." Gren said, bitterly.

"Of course you haven't." Rhys. "Now, you should know your place, snake. Besides, you know why my share is the way it is. Thomas met his unfortunate fate through the mountain, because he couldn't take his eyes off of the crystals." Rhys then let go of Gren who rubbed his neck afterword, making sure nothing too bad happened to it. He didn't cough because he had grown used to being held that way.

"She wouldn't have killed me." Rhys told Gren. "I've heard stories about her. I can also tell how a person is like just by talking to them for a while. She wouldn't have killed me. Rather, putting me in an ice cube is the worst thing she could do."

"Whatever." Gren said. "Why did we take them here? We could've just left them there and continue our search."

"Fool." Rhys said. "They'll just keep on going on their journey, whatever it may be. We'll risk them coming up across our camp, and then what? They'll surely want the gold and valuables taken away from us, and I can't let that happen."

"Well," Gren said, "they're here now. What's the next step of your genius plan?"

"I admit that I haven't thought that far." Rhys said, somewhat down. "I didn't expect anyone to show up around these parts. We're awfully far away from the city and it's people. But, that's why we chose this spot, is it not?"

"Aye." Gren said. "Far from the people, close to our prize. But, now we're found out. Being inconspicuous is no longer on our side."

"Enlighten me, then." Rhys said, sarcastically. "Tell me what you think we should do with them, since you have helped us so. Why, Thomas is dead now because you insisted the path through the mountain."

Rhys was waiting patiently for Gren to say something incredibly stupid. The entire time Rhys had known Gren, he despised him. He knew Gren's type. Selfish snakes who claim to have your back but run away when the opportunity of action presents itself. He had been a parasite in Rhys' side the entire time, bringing harm along with use. It was pity that made Rhys stick with the filthy creature.

"I say..." Gren said, gritting his teeth. "We kill them."

Rhys should've known better than to let Gren carry a flintlock. Gren turned around quickly and pulled out his gun that was strapped to his waist. He then aimed it at Anna who was just starting to regain consciousness. Before he could pull the trigger, Rhys grabbed the pistol out of Gren's hand and smacked Gren in the back of the head with it. Gren only flinched, being used to having something smacked in the back of his head.

"You idiot!" Rhys said. "I said no killing! Not now, or ever. Our hands shall be clean for this entire partnership, do you understand? I don't know about your past business, but murder will not help us. My hands have been clean for my entire life, and I won't start shedding red now."

Rhys felt so strongly on the subject. Elsa, who managed to get her hearing back in order, heard his little rant on being clean. That shocked her. She couldn't believe someone who stole gold and aimed arrows at strangers had morals as strong as that. Well, perhaps the way he treated Gren was immoral, but Gren looked like someone who well deserved pain.

The archer then threw the pistol away to the side, into the forest. Gren have Rhys a dirty look, a look which Rhys was used to getting every day.

"You..." Anna's voice said. The two men turned towards Anna who was just barely starting to get a hold of herself. "You guys are... Going to regret... This..."

"Our apologies, Princess." Rhys said. "But, I'm afraid we couldn't risk taking any chances with you."

By that point, Elsa was also with the will to talk. She had been doing nothing but listen and observe for the past few minutes. She had pretty much got the relationship between Rhys and Gren down. The two were bitter against each other, only working together for a mutual goal which she still had not figured out. Rhys, being physically superior, called the shots, and Gren, being as cowardly as he was, could do nothing but listen and take abuse.

"Do you really think..." Elsa said, getting her head back together, "That you can just keep us here?"

"I'm sorry for any inconvenience that our crossing of paths have cause you." Rhys said.

"An inconvenience?" Elsa said, completely wowed by the fact that he used that word. "You captured us! You have no idea what's after us, do you? You have no idea what force we're dealing with."

Rhys now knew so much more about their motives. In just two sentences, she managed to give him enough clues as to one of the factors of their absence from Arendelle.

"You're going north to flee something?" Rhys asked. "Is that it?"

"Must be something quite scary if it made you guys come all the way out here." Gren said.

"You don't know the full story." Elsa said.

"I'd like to." Rhys argued. "Your failure to tell me so costed you time to do whatever you planned on doing."

That got Elsa thinking to herself. It could've been easier to just tell Rhys the truth as to their true goals to journey to the mountain, and if she had, she could've saved them a lot of trouble. But, she instinctively didn't trust Rhys. Why would she? Silence and discretion was her choice, and she had enough reason to believe that she had made the right choice.

"What are you going to do with us?" Elsa asked.

Rhys tapped his feet in a pattern on the ground. He looked down at the ground while putting his fingers on his chin. He was thinking. So far, he had no plans with the royalty. He brought them there only out of caution. But now, he needed to think of something that he could use to get them out of their hairs.

"Truth is, your majesty," Rhys said, "I need money."

"Seems that you've got enough blood money over there." Elsa said, chin pointing to the boxes of gold.

"It is not blood money." Rhys said. "That would imply I killed someone for it. No, that's not the way I work. I admit that I've done less than stellar things to achieve that money, but it's for a cause which you wouldn't understand. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"I'm sure I would." Elsa said.

"No, you wouldn't!" Rhys said. His voice rose but he managed to calm himself down before things got more out of control for him. "You grew up in a castle without living a day where you starved. Out there, there are people who don't have it as easy as you. Those people who barely have anything to live on. Now, tell me, do you understand how that's like?"

Rhys was starting to remind her of so many of her adversaries before him. He was another one of those anti-noble people who strive to defend and provide for those who are not as fortunate. She needed to find out what that gold was for exactly.

"You're right." Elsa said. "I don't understand. But, tell me-"

There was a howl in the distance. A wolf's howl. Great, Elsa thought. There were still wolves in that area. She forgot that just because someone had her in their Palm, that didn't mean that they were out of the fire just yet. Rhys and Gren turned that direction, and Rhys pulled out his bow and one arrow. He aimed and arrow at one opening of the forest and waited patiently for something to attack.

After a few seconds of silence, Rhys decided that they weren't going to strike and that they probably had no idea that they were there.

"I'll go check it out." Rhys told. He then out his hand on Gren's shoulder. "Watch them, Gren. Anything happens, you yell my name or come and find me."

Gren nodded in agreement, not entirely fond of the idea of personally going to face wolves. Rhys, who was braver, left the clearing and headed to where they heard the howl.

"Is that how you plan on living the rest of your life?" Anna asked Gren. "Being bullied and told what to do?"

"Well," Gren said, "the stress isn't that big and the pay is good. So, why not? It don't matter, though. Hopefully that bastard is going to be mauled down to shreds and blood by a pack, and then his share of the prize is mine."

Anna chuckled. "Guess there really is no honor among thieves."

"On the contrary," Gren said, "Rhys is as honorable as they come. As a person, he's not bad. As a fighter, he's a monster."

"The way he smacks you around really doesn't make me believe that he's a good person." Elsa said.

"Oh," Gren said, "you don't know me, milady. I'll say he's justified for doing so. But, I won't lie and say I won't shoot him in the back when I get a chance."

"Coward." Kristoff's voice said. He was already awake like the others, too. Sven was beginning to rouse. "You can't face him like a man."

"I don't need to." Gren said. "I'll be rich."

"Yeah." Elsa said. "Rich and alone."

"My hand is all I need my dear." Gren said.

"You'll also be branded as a criminal by Arendelle." Elsa said. "I remember your face. Your's and Rhys'. If you think for one second that this won't come back to bite you, you're wrong."

"Well," Gren said, "Arendelle can't hurt me if they don't know who I am."

"What?" Kristoff asked. "Are you just going to keep us here forever."

"Of course not." Gren said. "I'd have gotten permission to wrap your necks in a noose and hang you on a strong branch before forever comes."

"Rhys won't allow that." Elsa said.

"I know." Gren said. "That's why I prefer something else."

"What?" Anna asked.

"Rhys probably intends to ransom you back to Arendelle." Gren elaborated. "After we're given a handsome pay, he and I will stay out of your hairs for a long while."

"Is that what you prefer?" Elsa asked.

"No." Gren said. "I think that's a bit too dangerous. Like you said, you'll find us, and I don't want any trouble with the law anymore than I already am in. I bet some sick bastard out there would pay a fortune for a queen and Princess."

"And I bet Rhys just loves that idea." Elsa said, knowing well how much Rhys would be against it. Rhys did not fit in that stereotype of bad thugs. He actually had morals and moral limitations.

"You shouldn't worry about what he thinks." Gren said. "He's weak."

"Look who's talking." Kristoff said.

Gren sneered at Kristoff and gave him a hissing sound. "He's weak minded. I wouldn't hesitate to cut a man's throat if he had wronged me, but not for Rhys. No, he believes in merely forgiving or forgetting. No wonder why he failed as a family man."

Of course Rhys had a family at one point. Who doesn't? They all forget that their adversaries had or have a family at one point. They all have someone who have an opinion that matters.

"It won't matter who loves him or not at the end." Gren said. "He and I will be rich, and the gold is all we'll need."

"How did you get all of that?" Elsa asked. "Robbed a deposit, perhaps?"

"It wasn't quick." Gren said. "It was a rather slow process to get the gold to build up to what it is. We stole stuff from people who don't need it no more. The funny part was how easy it was to get it all here. We told everyone who asked what was our business and we told them we were merchants."

"I really should be checking for these kinds of things." Elsa muttered to herself.

"What're you going to do with it all?" Anna asked, certain that he was going to use it for some sick things he finds amusing.

"I'm going to buy myself a nice house far away from everyone where no one will find me." Gren said. "I'd hate to be bothered for the remainder of my life."

Anna was thinking that he was going to do things along the lines of pay for personal slaves or use it to buy off a bunch of people to use their occupations for his personal benefit. But, she didn't think of it as a bad idea for Gren being isolated from everyone for the remainder of his life.

"And Rhys?" Elsa asked. "What's he going to do with his new fortune?"

"I don't know." Gren said. "He acts like he's doing it for some humble cause related to his writings." Gren pointed to the desk out in the open with all of the paper. "He never let me read any of his papers. The guy said it was personal and not for me. Don't matter to me anyways. He can do whatever he wants with his riches. My bet is that he'll spend it all in some brothel."

I highly doubt that, Elsa thought. The way Gren spoke about Rhys and the way Rhys acted didn't seem like Rhys was at all scum. He was probably a good man in the wrong crowd. She wasn't sure whether or not she had fully judged him. His motives were still not clear. Whatever he was writing about would be confirmation on his motives. She had to read them.

Still, he stole from people. That money was not clean or earned. Even if he was decent at heart, it didn't mean that he deserved that money. Gren especially didn't deserve it. They couldn't get away with what they had done, and Elsa was determined to prevent them from doing so. It would be a waste of time to try to return the gold and jewels to their rightful owners. There was only one thing left to do; to get rid of it.

For the entire time, Elsa was planning her escape right from the moment she woke up. She was truly shocked by the fact that they used ropes to tie her to a tree. They glossed over the fact that she had powers which could help her get out of a ton of situations. How dumb were they? Although, they probably didn't know what to do with an ice queen.

Elsa's rope which was tied around her wrists was frozen around her hands. If she just pulled a little, the rope would shatter and she would be free. Seeing as how Rhys was currently absent, she had to act quick. Gren, she could handle. However, he had a knife strapped to his belt. She didn't know how well he could use that weapon, and if he pulled it out on her before she was completely free, she was dead.

That was when she saw a blue fairy fly at the corner of her eye.

"See," Elsa said, "the one thing about being captured is that there's always a way out."

Bloom took that as a signal. She swooped down and grabbed Gren's hair and tugged on it back. Gren, startled, was grunting in pain and was being pulled back with Bloom. Elsa flicked her wrists and the icy ropes shattered. She then hopped up and off of the ground. Her legs were asleep, so it took a few seconds for her to regain the feel.

Elsa then formed an icy dagger in her hand and stepped over to Anna's tree. Bloom, at that point, finished pulling on Gren's hair and was flying around rapidly around him, slapping him as she passed skin. He tried to slap her out of the air like a fly, but to no avail. Elsa managed to free Anna by cutting the rope. Anna stood up immediately, and Elsa went on to get Kristoff. Anna walked away to free Olaf.

"Kristoff." Elsa said. Her brother in law met her eyes. "We can't let them do what they please with the gold. We need to destroy everything."

"I'll start a fire." Kristoff said. He felt just as strongly as Elsa did on the subject. He knew that he couldn't just let Rhys and Gren get away with everything. The gold was better melted than in the hands of them.

Elsa walked to where Sven was while Kristoff was finding good sticks to use as a fire starter. While she walked, she looked over at Gren who looked like he was about to scream. She aimed her fingers towards his mouth and a blast of ice flew out of her finger tips and towards his mouth. His mouth and jaw was then covered in a layer of ice.

Elsa used her dagger to cut the chains that held Sven. They were rather weak as one strike of the icy weapon could cut the chains. She then freed Sven's snout, and he licked her cheek out of affection. Elsa wasn't sure whether to say ew or no problem.

Kristoff was able to make a small fire by rubbing a stick rapidly on a plank. He and Anna were in the process of grabbing boxes of gold and jewels and throwing them into the fire. They called doing that justice. They were justified in doing so. Neither Gren nor Rhys deserved the gold. It was better gone than used by thieves.

"He'll see the fire." Kristoff warned Elsa.

"Then we best hurry this up." Elsa said.

Elsa looked at Gren who was still struggling with Bloom. Sick of seeing him like that, Elsa formed a solid ball of ice in her hand and threw it hard at Gren's head. Gren then smashed onto the ground, unconscious.

"Heads up." Elsa said.

She glanced over at the desk, knowing that whatever was in the papers contained the truth. Kristoff and Anna were already burning the gold, so it was too late to turn back. She was afraid that she was going to see something that she wasn't going to like. But, it was too late to turn back. She might as well find out what they were doing.

Standing in front of the desk, she opened the chest which she saw earlier. It was overstuffed with papers with writing on it. They looked like letters because of the format of the words. So, Rhys is writing letters to someone, Elsa thought, or, someone is writing to him. Possibly and probably both.

She picked up the first letter she saw at the top and began to read. On the top right hand corner said "To Rhys" and the last name was smudged out by ink.

_Dear Uncle Rhys,_

_Hello, Uncle Rhys! Wow, it's so weird calling you uncle even though we're not related at all. Oh yeah, it's Elizabeth from the orphanage by the way. Remember me? I hope you don't. It's been a few months since I last saw you, but I haven't forgotten about you at all. Sister Gertrude told us all that it would be kind for us to write a letter, so we all said yes. We really miss you. When will you come back? The sisters told us all that you'll be back when you've made enough to buy us all cool things!_

_I hope you're safe out there doing whatever it is you do. Sister Gertrude told us that you were an adventurer of some sort. Is that true? If you are, then please, please, please bring me with you on an adventure. Being here at the orphanage is so boring and everything we do gets old._

_Bye!_

_Yours truly,_

_Elizabeth_

Elsa gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Rhys wasn't who she thought she was. Was he stealing to provide for an orphanage? Was he truly going to use that money for noble things? He stole from the rich and gave from those who had nothing. He was like a real life Robin Hood.

She looked through the chest some more and pulled out other papers. All of them were letters to Rhys from who she assumed were children. She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and opened it up. This was from Rhys himself. It couldn't have been anything else besides a draft he didn't send.

_Dear kids,_

_It has been a long time since I've been there. Work is just incredibly busy for me and my partners are giving me a hard time. No, I don't need a group of the guys to come here and teach them a lesson. I'm sure you guys were going to think that. I've got it over here._

_I've almost completed my work here, and I've almost made enough to take home. So, just hang in there for a little longer, and everyone will get great toys for Christmas this year. Fingers crossed!_

_Sincerely,_

_Uncle Rhys_

Elsa didn't know what to think. What had she just ordered Kristoff to do? To get rid of the very thing that would help those orphans in this time of need? That was exactly the horrible thing she had done. She felt like a monster for doing it. She had the same feeling she got when she stabbed that mother bear. She had taken away the thing that provided for the young cubs. She was doing it again.

She turned towards Kristoff to yell stop, but it was too late. He just finished throwing in the last box of gold into the fire, and Elsa's sense of victory burned with the last box.

"What have you done...?" Rhys' voice whispered.

* * *

**To be continued in the next chapter**

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. This chapter was supposed to be more of a character development chapter and was fairly long. Please comment/review like always. Sorry this came out a bit late like most chapters. For those of you who hated Rhys earlier, how about now?

**QOTD: What do you think about Rhys?**

Ciao.


	27. The Deal

**The Deal**

* * *

"Rhys..." Elsa said. "I'm-"

Without hesitation, Rhys pulled out his bow and readied an arrow. He then aimed the arrow at the center of Elsa's forehead. All he needed to do was let go, and Elsa would drop to the ground faster than her family could realize she was dead. Why wouldn't he? He had every reason to kill her. She wronged him, and not only him, but all of the children he fought for. They had nothing, and Rhys was trying to use that stolen gold to give them the things that they deserved. Now, the gold was gone. They once again had nothing and would receive nothing.

However, Rhys couldn't let himself shoot that arrow. It went against everything he fought to prevent to do. He wasn't ready to take a life just because they hurt his cause. He had learned long ago to just deal with it and find another solution. He reminded himself of the small faces of the children, and asked himself what they would think if they found out he killed someone. He wasn't entirely sure if they would be understanding, much less forgiving.

Still, Rhys didn't want them to believe that he was weak. He had morals, but that didn't make a man weak. If anything, morals make a man stronger because they force conducts and rules upon themselves and they must have the strength to keep themselves from doing things the easy way. rhys lived doing things the hard way.

He kept his arrow aimed at Elsa, who was not surprised. She half expected him to just kill her. She probably would have done the same.

Kristoff saw Rhys threatening them with the arrow. He ran over to Elsa, ready to defend and fight her. Kristoff was about to run pass her and slide kick Rhys, but Elsa held her hand out in front of him, signaling him to stop and calm down. The ice miner was confused. The last thing he wanted to do when someone was threatening them with death was to not take them down and to concede to their threats. He wasn't one to just go down without a fight. If he were to get shot with an arrow, then he wanted that to happen while fighting Rhys.

"No." Elsa said to Kristoff. "Don't do anything."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Kristoff said, "but when someone aims an arrow at you, you retaliate. He intends to kill us, Elsa."

"No, he won't." Elsa said, knowing full well that Rhys wouldn't dare hurt a fly... Except when he was smacking around Gren. Besides that, he was a pacifist.

"Want to test that theory?" Rhys said, tightening his shot. He was bluffing, of course. But, did Elsa know that for sure? He couldn't let them believe that he wouldn't hurt them. If they had no incentive to talk him down, then he would have no advantage at all. He wanted them to pay. Not with their lives, but pay with something nonetheless.

Elsa and Kristoff heard a battle cry come from behind them. They turned around and looked down to find Olaf running at Rhys, yelling with confidence with one arm in his other hand so that it looked like a weapon. Olaf ran past Elsa and Kristoff, determined to protect his friends. Rhys aimed his arrow down at the snowman, sure that the arrow couldn't do much to harm snow. He then shot his arrow right through the middle of Olaf's middle button. The arrow and button went through Olaf and fell on the ground behind him.

Olaf, ignoring the hole in his chest, continued to run. When he was close to Rhys, Rhys kicked his head. The head disconnected from the body and flew a few yards back, landing right next to the fireplace.

"Uh oh." Olaf said. "Not good. Not good. Not good."

As the rest of the body ran to get the head before it melted, Rhys prepared another arrow before Elsa and Kristoff could do anything.

Anna carefully crept over to the spot next to Kristoff, careful to not set Rhys off. Sven, who wasn't going to be the hero, stood beside Anna. Bloom, believing that she would be dooming her friends if she did anything crazy like what she did with Gren, flew down slowly and stood on Anna's shoulder.

At that point, they weren't surprised if the very movement of a fly could set him off. Any erratic movements could mean the end of all of them. Each and every one of them would drop dead depending on how fast he could prepare an arrow. Rhys knew that he wouldn't kill them, however. But did the others?

"Do you have any idea what you have just done?!" Rhys said. "Do you think that the world revolves around you? Like your problems are the only ones that matter?"

"Rhys," Elsa said, "I am truly, deeply sorry. We didn't know."

"You're sorry?" Rhys asked. "You're sorry?! One year of my work is gone. Everything I fought for for these people gone because of your ignorance! What am I going to tell them now? That they need to keep sticking with scraping from the bottom of the barrel all because a Queen got too upset?"

"We didn't know." Elsa repeated.

"Well," Rhys said, sarcastically delighted. "Now you do. Congratulations, your majesty. You know the truth. You should be feeling fantastic!"

"Elsa." Anna whispered. "What did he do?"

"He..." Elsa said, almost at the brink of tears from remorse. "He was stealing gold and the other items because he was going to use it to provide for an orphanage. I read a letter on his desk that confirms it."

"But he was still stealing." Kristoff said. "Stealing is stealing no matter how much you sugar-coat it."

"Sir," Rhys said, not sure what else to refer to Kristoff as. The irony was that Rhys was older than him. "there is nothing out there for people with my particular set of skills to make a living to sustain myself, much less an orphanage. You do what you have to for the people you care about. It doesn't matter what, you'll still do it. And, when you see the payoff of those smiling faces, you'll understand that it's worth it. I don't expect you to understand."

He was right. Kristoff didn't understand. Kristoff didn't know the feeling of being forced to do something despicable for the benefits of his loved ones. Heck, he didn't know the feeling of _working_ for the benefits of his loved ones. Living in that castle had its perks, and brewing up around trolls who did everything for you did as well.

"Rhys," Anna said, "I'm sorry for what we did. I think I speak for all of us when I say that. But, please, don't let this end on a sour note."

"I don't want it to." Rhys said. "But I don't see how what has been done can be fixed."

"Compensation." Elsa said. "Surely a man as smart as you would not turn down the compensation of a Queen, now."

"Elsa..." Kristoff whispered. "The guy is pointing an arrow at us. We're supposed to take down hostiles, not pay them."

"And we're supposed to feed orphans." Elsa countered. "Not take away their only source of luxury."

"The source was from stealing, might I add." Kristoff said.

He was less than thrilled with the idea of compensating Rhys for what they had done. Sure, they screwed him over, but it was his fault for stealing and starting things off on the wrong foot with them. Of course it wasn't wrong to demand Rhys face justice, but his intentions and motivations were just too hard to hate him for.

Elsa ignored Kristoff and continued with her plan of redeeming herself from what she had just done. She did have more power and authority than Kristoff did or ever will have, so what she say goes.

"What if I don't want compensation?" Rhys said. "What if I want revenge?"

"Revenge isn't going to get those children toys." Elsa said. She wanted to play the children card. She knew that Rhys cared about them a lot, and that he wanted the best for them. Their personally needs were more important to him than his personal feelings.

"Valid point." Rhys said. "How much do you intend to pay?"

Even at the negotiation stage, Rhys still had his bow up and arrow pointing. Just in case things got sour, he would have the first move. Also, he could make the conversation go his way.

"How much did you have in pounds do you think?" Elsa said. Rhys could definitely say some crazy number which they could oblige to, but Elsa knew he wouldn't. He wouldn't cheat them on something for the children, regardless of what they meant to him.

"About all of our weight in gold." Rhys said. "So I reckon at least five figures."

"That's a lot of money." Kristoff warned Elsa.

She put her hand up to tell him to silence. His comments weren't at all helping her out in any way. It was as if he didn't want to make things right at all.

"Ten thousand pounds." Elsa said. "That's my offer."

"I'd rather take my chances with ransoming you." Rhys said, pulling his arrow back more so that he'll make a better shot.

"Twenty thousand!" Elsa said. "That and free transport to wherever it is you need to be."

"Seventy five." Rhys said. "Then I'll put down my bow."

Seventy-five thousand pounds was a lot for compensation. No way did Rhys have nearly that much money in gold and jewels. It seemed as though she was wrong about him not ripping them off. She should've expected him to, though. Even though he could've been the nicest guy, men will always find a way to profit.

"Thirty!" Elsa said.

"Sixty." Rhys argued.

"Fifty." Elsa offered.

"Deal." Rhys said. With that, he lowered his bow and took his arrow and put it behind him into his quiver. He then slung his bow over his shoulder.

"Great." Elsa said. She had succeeded in making things right with Rhys and with herself. Being a peacemaker made her feel more confident about herself. If she could stop a bowman from using her and her family for ransom, she could definitely get Kai back to his normal self.

Anna leaned into Elsa's ear and whispered "Are you sure about this? There's no going back."

"Just trust me on this." Elsa said. "He has everything to lose if he does something funny."

"I'm assuming you don't have compensation on you." Rhys said, overhearing their conversation. He had no ill intentions against them anymore. But, if Anna and Kristoff could convince Elsa that he was a danger to all, then he would lose his money. He couldn't lose that money.

"Unfortunately, no." Elsa said. "We'll have to get back to Arendelle for that."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Rhys said.

"I don't think so, pal." Kristoff said. "See, we're a bit busy with some things and paying you is the least of our worries."

"Do you want him to pull his bow out again?" Elsa whispered to Kristoff. She then turned back to Rhys. "Kristoff's right, however. We need to get something done at Mount Caelum concerning a friend of ours. We can't go back unless our journey is completed."

Rhys wondered what he was going to do. He went through every detail in his head, and thought of a way in which he could ensure his compensation. There was only one way he thought would work well.

"Well," Rhys said, "I'm not going to wait for you. Guess I'm going to have to go with you."

"Like hell you are." Kristoff said.

"Doesn't seem like you're calling the shots, tough guy." Rhys said. "What say you?" He looked at Elsa when he said that, convinced that what she say goes.

"Are you guys going to be okay with this?" Elsa asked the people next to her.

"No." Kristoff said, grimly.

"Sure, why not?" Sven said, using Kristoff's voice.

Rhys looked at Sven and Kristoff as if they were crazy.

"He seems like a nice guy." Olaf said.

"Bloom?" Elsa asked. Elsa was doing her best to read Bloom's gestures. "I'll take that as a yes, then. Anna?"

"You do what you think is best." Anna said. She was much more optimistic than Elsa was and she saw the best in a person, regardless of who they were. Rhys seemed like he had a lot of potential. He was a good man, but flawed nonetheless.

Elsa turned back towards Rhys. "Looks like the majority says yes."

"What about him?" Anna asked, pointing towards the unconscious body of Gren.

"We can't make him part of our deal." Rhys said.

"Not a great way to end a relationship with your partner." Kristoff said. He couldn't believe that Rhys would just end and cut all ties with Gren right there and then. It didn't seem at all fair for Gren, despite being the weasel he was.

"You guys have no idea who he is and what he's like." Rhys said. "Gren is a selfish snake with a disgusting lust. Pity is all I have for him, and pity was the only reason I kept him around."

"Then your pity would want him to come along." Elsa said.

"Not a chance." Rhys said. "Trust me, I advise you to just leave him here for your own sake. If he goes, I don't."

Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff turned around to face Gren's body. They weren't going to not take Rhys' points into consideration. All of them had mutual hate for Gren, but did they hate him enough to just leave him there? It would be decent of them to take along Gren, like it was decent of them to repay Rhys. But, Rhys was right. Gren had no reason to stay bound to them, and they for sure weren't going to compensate him so he could spend it on his own selfish needs.

"I say we leave both." Kristoff said. "We're too many people as it is."

"Why am I not surprised?" Elsa said. "Rhys could be useful, Kristoff. You never know when an archer comes in handy."

"Yeah." Anna agreed. "Besides, he might know his mind away from these parts. He could get us out of some sticky situations."

"Or lead us into some." Kristoff mumbled. "Well, if we're taking Rhys for sure, we can't bring Gren. One thief is enough."

"Agreed." Anna said. "Gren is more probable to slit our throats while we sleep than Rhys is, not saying that Rhys would do such a thing."

"Rhys has no reason to betray us." Elsa said. "Without us, he loses his compensation and he can't risk that. He'll play nice as long as we plan on delivering."

"You don't really plan on paying this guy, right Elsa?" Kristoff asked.

"Of course I do." Elsa said. "I'm doing it for those kids, mind you."

Elsa turned back to face Rhys and the others followed her example.

"We've decided to not take Gren." Elsa said.

"Smart choice." Rhys said.

"But I have terms in which you must oblige to before we go any further." Elsa said.

"I'm listening." Rhys said.

"We can't afford to have you be off and about with us on our journey." Elsa said. "You must come with us the entire way, and at least one of us must be able to keep an eye on you."

"Seems easy enough." Rhys said. "I thought I was too old for a babysitter, but I'll oblige. Looks like it's your job to keep an eye on me."

"Also, your bow seems useful." Elsa said. "If we are ever to require yours and its services, do not hesitate to do what we ask."

"Duck." Rhys said.

"What?" Elsa asked, confused.

"I said duck!" Rhys ordered.

Without questioning any further, Elsa, Kristoff, Anna, and Sven dropped to the ground. Olaf rolled to the side, and Bloom flew up and away. Rhys, who was still standing, took out his bow and readied an arrow as fast as the others could blink. He then let the arrow go and it flew past the bodies of the arrows. It hit a wolf in the chest midair.

The others got up, perplexed as to what Rhys had just done. When they saw the limp body of the wolf, they understood that he had just saved their lives. Rhys then walked over to the wolf's corpse and pulled out his arrow. He then cleaned it and put it back into his quiver. Growing up, he had learned not to waste anything.

"I was wondering where that last wolf was." Rhys said to himself.

"I thought you didn't kill?" Anna said, realizing that Rhys broke his one and only rule.

"People." Rhys explained. "Dangerous animals are not on my list."

"That was uncalled for." Kristoff said.

"I just saved your life." Rhys argued. "And if we're going to be on this journey together, you best be a little nicer to me."

Kristoff then turned to Elsa. "He's unpredictable and takes too many risks. I have a feeling he wants us killed."

"If I wanted you killed," Rhys said, "I'd have let that wolf rip you to shreds."

Kristoff, who was doing his best to antagonize Rhys out of safety for his family, stopped talking and put that point into consideration. Rhys was right, after all. If he truly wished them to die, he wouldn't wait for their deaths to come.

"I want to know what you're doing, exactly." Rhys said. "I'm not going if I'm going to be in the dark all of the time."

"Don't worry." Elsa said. "We'll fill you in later. Do you know the way to Mount Caelum?"

"I've trekked around that area a few times." Rhys said. "But my base was always here."

"Bloom here is our guide." Elsa pointed to the fairy who waved at Rhys. Rhys waved in return, confused because of the mere existent of such a creature.

"She knows the way." Elsa elaborated. "Perhaps you can help her?"

"Sure..." Rhys agreed, still unsure of Bloom's origins and where she learned to communicate.

"We best be off then." Anna said. She then looked down at Gren one last time. "We're just going to leave him here?"

"He knows the way back to the city." Rhys said. "He'll be fine."

"Bloom." Elsa said. "Do you know the way from here?"

Bloom turned left and right, trying to see if this place was familiar to her. Unfortunately, she wasn't sure if she had even passed this place. She shook her head, telling them that she didn't know the way.

"Good thing you have me." Rhys said. "Come. We're a few hours walk away from Mount Caelum, so if we want to make it by nightfall, we best go now."

Rhys turned around and started to walk into the forest. The others, certain he knew the way, followed him. Kristoff, as skeptical as he always was, reluctantly followed Rhys. Olaf picked up the button Rhys shot off and put it back on himself.

Anna ran up ahead of the others and walked next to Rhys.

"Now, tell me, Rhys." Anna said. "What do you know of magic, evil, and trolls?"

* * *

They walked for an hour through the forest before any of them were brave enough to ask Rhys any more questions. All they knew about Rhys was from what they got from the letters. Besides that, they were in the dark for most of what he knew. He, however, knew a lot about them and their endeavors. Anna and Elsa were recounting their current journey with Rhys as they walked. They didn't mention Kai by name, though, and merely referred to him as their friend.

Bloom, who recognized the path they were taking, sat on Rhys's shoulder as they walked. Although he didn't seem like a touchy or affectionate person, he didn't say anything against Bloom sitting down on his shoulder. It would seem rude of him to deny her comfort.

Following Rhys was Elsa, and behind her, Anna. Kristoff was behind his wife, watching their backs to see if anything funny would happen. He still wasn't so sure about Rhys. He didn't believe that they should trust a random man with their lives just because they melted a bit of gold.

Sven was at the back, behind Kristoff, and Olaf was riding on top of Sven, smiling as if an arrow never went through him.

"So, tell me." Rhys said. "I'd like to know the name of the man you're referring to. You know, the one with fire powers and the darkness which seems to be dancing around in his head."

"His name is Kai." Elsa said.

Rhys stopped in his tracks. The others, perplexed, stopped as well. Kai, Rhys thought. Now that wasn't a name he has heard in a long time. Was it possible that this was the same Kai Rhys was thinking of? No way. The description was dramatically off. Of course, things could've changed a lot. But still... No. There was no way this was the same Kai. Rhys' Kai was dead, or so he thought.

"Rhys?" Elsa said. "Do you know him?"

"I know _a_ Kai." Rhys said. "Although this Kai is merely a ghost to me. I doubt that we're thinking of the same, Kai. The name is quite common. Onwards."

Rhys continued to walk and expected the others to follow. Confused as to what was going on in Rhys' head, they cautiously followed, now with a bigger mystery replacing what they think is Rhys' past. It was then that Anna decided that they needed to get to know their new friend more. Keeping it strictly professional was not her style.

"So, Rhys." Anna said, taking a few quicker steps so she started walking next to Elsa. "Tell us a little bit more about yourself."

"What can I tell?" Rhys asked himself. "There's really nothing in my life that would interest royalty and the interesting lives I know you have."

"I'll admit that we don't have ordinary lives." Anna agreed. "Still, I want to know more about you. I want to know what makes you tick."

Rhys took a deep breath. "Where to begin?" He asked himself. "Well, I was orphaned at a young age. Seven, to be exact."

"Well, how old are you now?" Elsa asked.

"I'm thirty-two." Rhys answered.

"Orphaned at seven?" Anna asked, making sure she got that right. "Well, what happened to your parents?"

"Nothing." Rhys answered. "I... I ran away."

"Why?" Anna asked. "Parents love their children, regardless. I'm sure whatever happened was just a misunderstanding."

"Sure, it was." Rhys mocked. "Tell that to the scar on my lip." He could remember it now. His father was not the nicest to him. His mother was the more compassionate one. It was his father and his father's fist that ultimately forced him to leave everything behind.

"Soon after I left," Rhys continued, "I found myself in a city far away, Vaylor City, not far west of Teranhall. I was digging through the trash for anything to eat, and then I found her."

"Yeah, we don't know who "her" is, Rhys." Kristoff said.

"Her name was Evelyn, Eve for short. And she was about my age." Rhys elaborated. "She took me to the orphanage ran by Sister Gertrude. There, I was raised for the next twenty years. Most people leave to continue on with their lives after they turn sixteen, but I stayed."

"And then?" Anna asked, excited for him to continue with his story.

"Then, I realized that we needed money." Rhys said. "Sure, we got money from the oh so generous government, but that was not enough. Growing up there, I had nothing but the clothes on my body and the shoes on my feet. We barely got fed at all, although we got enough to sustain ourselves."

"Lemme guess." Elsa said. "You chose the wrong career."

"Don't judge me for my decisions." Rhys told Elsa. "I did what I thought I had to do. I had a very particular set of skills, and those skills came handy for one profession. Yes, I became a thief. But, at least I made money. Most of my earnings went to the kids, but I kept enough for myself to buy a nice house, isolated from the city and out on the hill that overlooked it all."

Rhys remembered that house fondly. Every second he was away from it was a second he regretted. But, he couldn't bear it if he came back. Too many bad memories.

"What brought you to Arendelle?" Anna asked.

"A score." Rhys answered. "Not just a score. _The_ score. The Legendary Steal of the Great Bandit Bill. They say Bandit Bill took something from a troll. They say he crafted it himself. No one's sure how, but he came in contact with a priceless gem. I was thinking this gem would make me retire incredibly early."

"You went here based on a myth?" Kristoff asked.

"Not myth." Rhys said. "Legend. I believed in it, and so did Gren and Thomas. Thomas, unfortunately, didn't make it. And we all know about Gren. That's why I made a trip or two around Mount Caelum. To find it."

"Any luck with that?" Elsa asked.

"If I did, I'd still be here." Rhys said. "I'm not giving up, though. One clue made me certain of it's existence there. I found Bandit Bill's cabin. Found nothing. Not even a trace of Bandit Bill himself. Doesn't matter now, though. Your compensation will satisfy me."

They walked in silence for another five minutes before Anna decided to break the ice. He might've summarized his life story, but he was still leaving out so many details which Anna knew she had to know. Some may call her snoopy, but she would argue that she was just curious.

"So, Rhys..." Anna said. "Is there a woman in your life."

"There was..." Rhys answered. "She died." It was always a touchy subject for him. His love life. Many thought Rhys was the kind of man who brought him a different broad every night, but it wasn't like that at all. There was one and there would only ever be one woman for him.

"Oh." Anna said, immediately regretting her decision to ask. "Sorry I asked."

"It's alright." Rhys said. "People ask me a lot because I don't wear my ring anymore."

"It was Eve, wasn't it?" Elsa asked. She could tell by the way he said "her" when he was talking about Eve. She was the one he loved. She was the one who was deceased.

"Yes." Rhys grimly answered.

"She must've made you happy." Anna said. "If I may, and please feel free to not answer... But, how did she die?"

"Giving birth." Rhys answered. "She just couldn't carry on. She was already sick. It was a miracle my son survived childbirth. I had to hold onto her hand as she slipped away."

Anna put her hand on her belly. She was incredibly grateful that she survived what others did not. She felt sorry for Rhys. Anna wondered if things would've turned out differently for him had she survived the ordeal.

"You have a child?" Elsa asked.

"Not anymore, no." Rhys said. "My son, Leon, was about one when he fell ill. One month later, he was gone."

Rhys didn't seem that traumatized by any of this. He talked about the deaths of his wife and son like they were everyday stories he would tell his friends. He must've either moved on and gotten over their deaths, or he was used to talking about this.

"Ever since, I've devoted myself to the orphanage and those kids." Rhys said. "If any one of them gets sick, I have to make sure we have the means and materials to get a doctor."

"Rhys," Anna said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that has happened to you. I know how hard it is. Elsa and I have lost our parents. But, it looks like you've lost more."

"Don't..." Rhys said. "People shouldn't judge others for what they have lost or what they have done. People should focus more on what they're going to do."

"And what _are_ you going to do?" Elsa asked.

"I'm going to help you save your friend." Rhys said. "So you don't have to lose someone else."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hey guys. Hoped you liked the chapter. As always, review/comment to let me know what you thought of the chapter and story so far.

I really hope you guys like Rhys. I tried to make an OC that was something you haven't seen from me before. Some may think that he's only there to act as a temporary replacement for Kai, but I assure you, his subplot and character will have major contributions later in the story.

Many of you guys are begging for a portion of a chapter where I show Kai's whereabouts. The thing about that is I don't think that's best for the story. It would be nothing but filler. To be honest, Kai's whereabouts aren't very important to the story as of now, and he'll show up when the story calls him to show up. If I need to add something to make a chapter a bit longer, I'll surely add Kai's whereabouts.

I was thinking about the climax for my story. I realized that it would be incredibly over the top, action packed, somewhat ridiculous (in a good way), and epic. It will be almost stupid if it wasn't serious. You know what? I'm okay with that. This is going to be the last installment of my Froze fics. I might as well go out with a bang.

Oh, and now I'm sure that this fic will be longer than The Coming Storm.

**QOTD: Rhys. Yay or nay? What do you think of him compared to other OCs in my stories? **

Ciao.


	28. The Troll of Mount Caelum

**The Troll of Mount Caelum**

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"Well," Kristoff said, "looks like we're here."

Mount Caelum. The mountain was more or less a giant rock protruding from the ground, being incredibly high up, though. It was about twice the size of the North Mountain in both length and width. The big difference was that there weren't any chasms surrounding Mount Caelum, with nothing but forrest surrounding it.

It was about an hour before night-time when they finally arrived to the foot of the mountain. They walked into a part of the foot where the trees weren't clustered up, but still surrounding the area. The area surrounding the foot of the mountain was fairly free of many trees, although there was the occasional tree here and there.

The walk took most of the day, although it was shorter than they originally thought it would be. Surprisingly, they didn't encounter anything which would try to kill them during their walk. Who could be thanked for that? Rhys because of his knowing of the forest or pure luck? The walk was so safe that some started to wonder whether the addition of Rhys to the group was completely necessary. He never once needed to pull out his bow. But, they still owed him, so bringing him along was sort of necessary.

Elsa and Kristoff were inspecting the stone wall of the mountain that lay before them. There was no sign of Arthar at all. Elsa hoped to see some sort of indication of him presence there, but there was nothing that even hinted of his existence. Kristoff, on the other hand, was not very surprised. Trolls liked their secrecy, as he grew up to know.

Anna, who grew impatient, walked over to the area where Elsa and Kristoff searched on the wall. She intended on helping them find some sort of thing that resembled an entrance. The outline of a door, maybe. Olaf sort of wondered off in hopes of helping them, but they knew that his contributions wouldn't be fantastic. Bloom followed him to make sure that he wouldn't get into any trouble.

Rhys, who had by that point lost faith in finding Arthar, stood away from the group, taping his foot on the ground.

"Did you guys find what you were looking for?" Rhys asked, knowing the answer to that question.

"I don't get it." Elsa confessed. "He should be here. Rollo said to go to Mount Caelum. Is this not Mount Caelum?"

"I assure you it is." Rhys said. "But perhaps your information was outdated."

"Elsa," Kristoff said, "Rollo said he moved here years ago. Things could've changed."

"I don't want to believe that we came here for nothing." Elsa argued.

"We didn't." Anna assured. "Well, not yet anyway. I mean, we've only checked one part of the mountain. The entrance could be anywhere."

"So," Kristoff said, "how long are we going to have to search for it?"

"He has a point." Rhys agreed. "The mountain is, if you didn't realize, quite large. You would have to go around the entire thing, looking at every single thing for a clue. Do you-"

"Guys!" Olaf called.

They all turned to Olaf who was heard half a hundred yards away from them to the right. The mountain curved so they couldn't see him, but surely, he could be spotted if they walked a few yards to the right. Obviously, Olaf wanted them to get over to him. The only reason for that was that he may have found something of interest. Even though he wasn't the brightest bulb of the bunch, he knew better than to waste their time with some things. So, if he thought that their attention was this important to him, then surely what he saw must have been of great importance.

Elsa was the first to run over to Olaf. Her family followed her example. Rhys, who was the most skeptical of the group, followed last without any enthusiasm.

When they got over to Olaf, they saw that he was facing the wall of the mountain. He was looking at the outline of a door, not very grand. The outline was too small to fit Sven, and it was barely big enough to fit the likes of Kristoff and Rhys. The girls, as slender as they were, would have no trouble getting through... assuming that it was more than an outline of course. An outline was all it was. A black indent inside the mountain. It looked like a door, but it didn't look like it would open.

"Ta da." Olaf presented, proud of himself. "Did I do good or did I do good?"

"You sure did, Olaf..." Elsa said, in awe.

"What's that?"Anna inquired, pointing at something right next to the door.

They all looked in the direction her finger was pointing and found a old, yellowed piece of paper nailed to the stone with writing on it. The thing about the paper was that it was placed very close to the ground at a level that looked like a baby put it there. A baby or a troll. It looked like a troll had placed it there because it was placed at the average height of a troll. There was only one troll they knew that went to this area.

Elsa, who was closest to the paper, leaned down and ripped it off of its nail. She then stood back up and straightened the paper. There was something very familiar with the writing on the paper. It was an uncanny match to the writing on the wooden sign they saw back at the crystal cave. It must have been Arthar's writing.

"What does it say?" Rhys asked.

"Entrance to this abode is reserved to and only the trolls of the Valley of the Living Rock." Elsa read. "Only the crystals of my family can open the way exclusive to them. For trolls who are reading this, welcome, although you should have no reason to come here. For humans who are reading this..."

Elsa looked up from the paper and turned towards the others, a less than satisfied look on her face.

"Well?" Kristoff asked. "What does it say?"

"For humans who are reading this," Elsa repeated, "get out. That's in capital letters, by the way, with three exclamation marks at the end."

Silence fell upon the group for a total of ten seconds. Rhys, disenchanted with the awkward silence and uncomfortable feeling the words gave everyone, broke the silence.

"Well," Rhys said, "it doesn't really seem that you're friend, Arthar, is eager to have anyone besides his own kind to come see him."

"He didn't seem all to fond of humans when we read the sign back at the cave." Anna recalled. "I have a bad feeling that we don't have welcome faces."

"I thought the relationship with trolls and humans were strong." Elsa said, looking specifically at Kristoff. She knew that he knew more about trolls than any other human alive. He lived with them for practically most of his life. He knew their cultures, customs, and history.

"It is now." Kristoff assured. "But humans and trolls have a rocky history, no pun intended. There were the ancient wars between humans and trolls which was the only recorded war that included the trolls, by the way."

"Well, we're obviously not in a war with the trolls anymore." Rhys pointed out. "Whom, might I add, I have just found out existed. This Arthar fellow obviously has something against those who are made of flesh, and the question is why."

"We're not going to get the answers by asking ourselves out here." Anna said. "We need to get inside and talk to Arthar, assuming he's in there."

"He has to be in there." Elsa said. "Otherwise the paper wouldn't be out here. We have to get this door open."

"Easy enough." Rhys said. "Just twist the doorknob and everything will be sunshine and butterflies."

His sarcasm wasn't at all helping Elsa's mood. She did, however, find something incredibly strange with Rhys' words. They reminded her of something Kai would say. She remembered the sarcastic and witty words that Kai would speak many times that she would both hate and love. Rhys was starting to remind her of him. Despite the black hair, Kai and Rhys had almost nothing in common.

That was incredibly strange. But, Elsa figured that it was just her own head messing with her like this. She missed him so much, and anything that reminded her of him made her both sad and happy. Rhys had a similar spirit to Kai. As long as he was with them, so was Kai's witty spirit.

"It said that only the crystals of his family could open the way." Kristoff said. "And that narrows the key down to troll crystals."

"Anyone have any handy?" Elsa asked the group.

No one had anything resembling a crystal on them except for one person; Rhys. He raised his hand and Elsa looked at him.

"Lucky for you," Rhys said, "I've been carrying the weight of a small crystal this entire time." Rhys then pulled out, from his pocket, a small blue crystal the size of a coin. "I picked it up back when I was passing through the cave." Rhys explained. "We took many trips through the cave to get our gold through. On my last trip, while I was running from some falling rocks, I managed to pick this up."

Rhys then tossed the crystal to Elsa who caught it with one hand. Many years ago, if someone were to throw something like that to Elsa, she would be startled and not attempt to catch it or drop it immediately after her hands came into contact with it. But, thanks to a certain someone, she was taught to have fast reflexes and to not be so clumsy when dealing with certain activities or movements.

"Was bringing him along still a bad idea, Kristoff?" Elsa asked, trying to put down his skepticism.

"I'll admit he wasn't completely worthless." admitted Kristoff, nodding to Elsa's comment.

"I"ll take that as a compliment, Mr. Bjorgman." Rhys thanked.

Elsa, uncertain as to what she was supposed to do with the crystal, did the most obvious method anyone would think of doing. She pressed the crystal against the stone in the middle of the outline of the door. Upon contact, she could feel and hear the door vibrate and rumble. She tossed the crystal back at Rhys without even looking, trusting him to catch it without blinking. Rhys, of course, obliged to the toss.

"Whoa." Olaf said after gasping.

The stone door made itself more prominent with the outline. It then lowered down into the ground like it was sinking in quicksand. On top of the doorway, smalls pieces of rocks and dirt and dust fell off and onto the ground. Looking inside, they saw that it was a long, dark hallway with things illuminating at the far end of the hallway. Other than the lights of what looked to be fire at the end, nothing could be seen in the hallway.

"Well," Rhys said, "I'll be damned."

"We finally made it." Anna said, excited. "After all we've been through, we've finally made it!"

"It's not over yet." Kristoff argued. "Finding him and convincing him to help are two completely unrelated things."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Elsa asked, eager to get inside and find who she hoped to be Kai's savior.

Elsa walked into the small doorway and entered the corridor. The entire way felt incredibly cramped, but she was small enough to fit. Both Elsa and Anna were extremely lucky to have the body types they did, or else going through would be a struggle. Anna followed her sister in, followed by Rhys and their friendly snowman. Rhys then walked with them in, uncomfortable with the amount of space available to him. His shoulders were practically scraping against the wall, and the tip of his bow was scratching against the roof.

Kristoff, before he entered last, looked at Bloom and Sven who had not yet entered.

"I'm sorry, buddy." Kristoff apologized, looking at Sven. "But you won't fit. Looks like you're going to have to stay out here until we're done."

Sven let out a whimpering sound, expressing his disappointment with the matter.

Kristoff then turned towards Bloom who was hovering next to Sven's head. "Do you mind staying out here and keep guard?" Kristoff requested. "If anything goes sour out here, fly in and tell us."

Bloom then nodded and bowed, honored to take that position.

Kristoff thanked the two and walked into the small hallway after the others.

Elsa, having entered the corridor first, exited it first and the exit was an entrance of something incredibly grand. The corridor opened up to a hollowed part of the mountain. The room was perfectly round, and it was incredibly large. The mountain was larger than Elsa originally perceived it to be. In diameter, the room was about one hundred feet with the ceiling all the way up to about the same distance. On the outskirts of the room was one elevated level that went around in a circle, and the platform went off the wall by about fifteen feet. Surrounding the wall were countless bookshelves filled with hundreds of books on each. It was practically a library in a mountain.

There were steps that led down to the center of the circle of a room on the edge of the platform. So, it was pretty much a small set of stairs that went around the entire room. In the center of the room was a stone table like structure, big enough to fit a human. Next to the stone table was a wooden one filled with bottles and glasses of liquids that came in a variety of colors and many herbs never before seen in Arendelle. Torches ran along the walls and the bookshelves, keeping the room lit.

"This..." Elsa said, amazed. "Is..." While she said that, she walked off of the slightly elevated platform and walked down onto the lower part of the library.

"Amazing." Anna suggested.

"Spectacular." Olaf added.

The two then followed Elsa onto the lower area. Rhys, however, stayed on top of the upper area.

"Vacant." Rhys suggested. "There's no one here."

"Are you sure about that?" Asked an unfamiliar voice. It sounded old, and, it also came from right next to Rhys.

Before Rhys could prepare himself, a stick or staff hit him from behind on his heels, forcing him to fall backward and land on the ground. Rhys grunted in pain and looked to his right to see what had just hit him. But, before he could get a good glimpse of his attacker, the same short staff hit him on his gut. Rhys let out another sound of pain and grabbed his gut with both hands.

Elsa and Anna had no idea what just happened behind them. They, along with Olaf, turned around to see what had just happened to Rhys. The first thing they saw was Rhys on his back in pain, and the next thing they saw was something or rather someone they've been looking for.

He was obviously a troll, looking older than most other trolls, and although many trolls do look similar in age, the structure of this troll's face made him look about Pabbie's age if not older. Like Pabbie, he had a mane of grass for hair, although the grass was browner and withering. Like all trolls, he had a string that went around his neck. But, unlike all trolls, he had no crystals on it.

"Whoa!" Anna said. "Calm down."

"What's happening?" Asked Kristoff's voice. They saw that Kristoff had just gotten through the corridor. Kristoff ignored the troll and ran past Rhys' body to the girls. But, while he was running, the troll held his stick out in front of him and Kristoff tripped and fell flat on his chest and face.

"Ow." Kristoff groaned.

"Excuse me, sir." Olaf said. He then walked away from the girls and towards the troll who was slightly shorter than Olaf. "These are my friends. They may be stinky and not nearly as handsome as I am, but my friends nonetheless. I would appreciate it if you would-"

The troll swung his small staff at Olaf's head which flew off of his body and across the room, going in between two bookshelves. Olaf's body ran after the head afterwords.

The trolls aimed the tip of his staff towards both of the girls.

"Anyone else?" The troll asked. His voice definitely had a British accent.

Elsa and Anna both raised their arms and extended their hands as if to surrender and shook their heads.

"Good." The troll asked. "Now, are you people illiterate? Can you not read my note outside? I said absolutely, positively no human presence in my home!"

"To be fair, it just said for us to get out." Rhys said.

The troll smacked his staff on Rhys' chest.

"I'm sorry." Elsa apologized. "We saw your warning, and believe me when I say that we have thought about leaving you in piece."

"We did?" Kristoff muttered. Luckily for him, the trolls didn't seem to hear.

"You must be Arthar." Elsa said.

"The one and only." Arthar added. "You seem familiar with my name but I'm not sure if I'm as familiar with yours as you are with mine."

"Oh!" Elsa said. "Forgive me for being rude."

"Well," Arthar said, "you were already rude when you entered this place, but go on."

"My name is Elsa." Elsa introduced. "Queen Elsa of the nearby Kingdom of Arendelle."

"I'm familiar with the kingdom." Arthar said.

Elsa put her hand on Anna's shoulder. "This is my sister, Princess Anna of Arendelle." Elsa explained. She then pointed to Rhys. "That is Rhys of Vaylor City." She then finally pointed to Kristoff. "That is Kristoff Bjorgman, husband of Princess Anna, my brother by law, and The Royal Ice Master of Arendelle."

"That's not a thing." Arthar said in disbelief.

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" Kristoff asked himself.

"And the snowman you smacked is our friend, Olaf." Elsa said.

"Snowman do not just walk around and talk." Arthar said. "He was the product of magic, but not just any magic I'm assuming. Born from cryokinetic powers is my guess. Judging by your unnatural hair," Arthar pointed to Elsa's hair, "you must be his creator. An ice user, eh?"

"How'd you know my hair is unnatural." Elsa asked.

"Simple." Arthar said. "I've never seen a human with white hair in my life. Also, a certain book I have here has told me that Arendelle has a line of strictly brown haired monarchs. It's safe to assume it's unnatural, and white is a symbol of snow. All those clues give me a reason to believe that you possess abilities no other human does."

Elsa was stunned. Arthar was completely shut away from the outside world a long time ago, possibly even before her own father reigned as king. Only his deduction skills and prior knowledge got him to learn her abilities.

"You're right about that." Elsa said.

"Of course I am." Arthar agreed. "But, supernatural or not, you're a human nonetheless. So, and trust me when I say I'm saying this as politely as possible, get out!"

"Not so hasty, Arthar." Kristoff said, getting back up on his feet. He then wiped the dust and dirt off of his clothes. "I was raised by the trolls of the Valley of the Living Rock for most of my life." Kristoff explained. "I'm a friend."

"A friend to them." Arthar said. "But not a friend to me."

"We knew you're brother Pabbie." Anna added. "He's helped me and my sister out on many occasions. We're practically family."

"Pabbie?" Arthar asked. That was a name he hasn't heard said in a long time. A very long time. The name was nothing but something of the past to him. The memories he had of his brother were very faint, and it wasn't easy to remember the times he had with him. "Pabbie..." Arthar muttered. "How is my brother, might I ask?"

"He's..." Elsa stopped her sentence. She didn't want to be straightforward with Arthar. Depending on how the news was delivered would result in a different reaction. "I'm truly sorry to say that he passed not so long ago." Elsa revealed.

"I'm not surprised." Arthar said, somewhat saddened but not grieved. "He was old like I am. It was only a matter of time."

"He was killed, Arthar." Kristoff said.

Arthar's face showed no emotion to the news as if he was processing what he had just been told. He had never thought someone like Pabbie could be murdered. How would a troll even be murdered?

"And you traveled all the way here to tell me that unfortunate news?" Arthar assumed.

"Yes," Elsa said, "and no."

"Ah." Arthar said. "You require something of me. You humans always do. You always want and ask for others, not even once thinking about whether or not you can solve your own problems."

"Arthar, please." Elsa pleaded. "Another troll said you would help if you were still alive. Looks like you're still alive."

"Well," Arthar said, "you were wrongly informed."

"We wouldn't have gone to you unless we had no other choice." Elsa explained. "And I know I didn't run away from falling rocks, fight wolves and a bear, and cross a dangerous bridge just to be told no when I finally got here."

Arthar then decided to cut them some slack because of what Elsa had said they had gone through. Not enough slack to help them out, but just enough to hear what she had to say.

"Something wrong is with our friend, Kai." Elsa said. "He's... Evil. Everything about him is different. He's also a fire user, and an evil fire user is dangerous."

Fire? Ice? Arthar was getting a very bad feeling of something. Not too long ago, he read a story that haunted him. He read the story in the library, of course, post-exile. The story gave him enough reason to stay at Mount Caelum. It was a matter of life and death if he stayed or left. Learning of the existence of a fire and ice user made him realize that history was about to repeat itself, and that there was still a few missing pieces to the puzzle.

"Do you know of any lightning user?" Arthar asked.

"No." Elsa answered. "I didn't even know that was a thing. Why?"

"No matter." Arthar said. "Just curious. Now, you have one minute to tell me what you must and then I'll judge."

"I don't need a minute." Elsa confidently said. "Anyway, Kai has a darker personality and he has no memories whatsoever. We have reason to believe he's working for or with someone, and he's after me specifically. We came here to ask for your help with restoring his memory and getting the darkness out of him." Elsa left out the part where Kai killed Pabbie because she was so sure Arthar was going to say no.

The word "darkness" made Arthar cringe. There was only one person in the history he knew that was associated with darkness. It didn't bode well for any of them at all. But, he didn't worry about that as of that moment. They were more interested on whether or not he was going to help them. He surely could as he knew a way to help amnesiacs. But would he? Would he help humans after all that has happened to him?

"I cannot help you." Arthar lied. "I'm sorry, but I will not and cannot you humans."

"You can't or you won't?" Elsa asked.

"I won't!" Arthar exclaimed.

"We've done no wrong to you." Elsa countered. "What do you have against humans?"

"Humans are the reason I do not go home to my family!" Arthar explained. "Ever heard of self exile, girl? I wasn't banished. I chose to go out here for the better. A long time ago, I was in charge of taking care and protecting the white stone, the Gift of the Moon, with my life and I had to make sure that it would never leave the hands of the trolls. This stone had been a possession of the trolls for centuries, longer than the kingdom of Arendelle has been around no doubt. It was an honor to carry it. But, one day, a human thief stole the crystal from me and fled. Could I just go back home and tell them I had lost the most precious thing owned by our race?"

"So you ran away." Kristoff finished. "You found this place and stayed here for all of these years."

"Arthar, please." Anna pleaded. "You can't blame humanity for what one thief had done."

"I don't." Arthar said. "I'm just sick with the fact that you people are never satisfied. I'm sick with the fact that you always require the help of my people when you cause your own problems. And, I'll bet a human murdered my brother. For that, I cannot forgive."

"Trolls are famous for helping people." Elsa said. "Your race is kind and generous. What makes you so different?"

"You took something from me." Arthar answered. "And I've been unable to get it back. Now, get out!"

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Sorry that this chapter came out a bit later. I've been recently getting into Game of Thrones and I've been watching the show almost non-stop. I'm sure we all know the feeling of getting obsessed with a TV show. The show is great, by the way, although I wouldn't recommend it to people who aren't in high school. I hoped you guys liked the chapter nonetheless, although it was a bit rushed. Please write a review/comment to let me know what I think about the chapter.

**QOTD: Since I'm getting into TV now, what's your favorite TV show? Mine is, at the moment, Game of Thrones.**

Ciao.


	29. The Bandit's Score

**The Bandit's Score**

* * *

Disappointing was a good word to describe their entire journey. After going through everything they went to which included facing wolves, bears, rocks, an archer, and falling bridges, it all ended with the single word of the exiled troll. Elsa, most of all, felt awful and incredibly saddened by all that has happened. She should have known better than to have high hopes for saving Kai.

It didn't seem like Kai could be saved anymore. There was no other way to rid him of the darkness Pabbie said possessed him and to return to him his stolen memories. Was he to just roam around the world with no recollection of anything and with a thirst for blood? Arthur's refusal to help made that seem so. Elsa, however, refused to believe that. She wasn't ready to just give up on Kai's life that easily. She knew that there was a way to help him, even if it wasn't clear at the moment. Kai saved her countless times, and it would be fair for her to return the favor.

To add to Elsa's determination, she wanted to marry the guy. She has known him for about three years and the two never once were bonded by matrimony. That was probably due to the fact Kai was always busy doing something, whether it was recovering from his fight on the ship or taking down a crime organization. Both had hoped that their marriage would give Kai more time to be with her, but things obviously didn't go as planned.

Now, Elsa found herself outside of the mountain. Knowing that there was not much more to say to Arthar to get him to help, Elsa led the others out of Arthar's home, all disappointed. All except for Rhys, who could care less about what happened to Kai. All he was concerned about was buying toys to the orphans.

They all sat outside of the stone door which Arthar had raised up using some sort of magic. Elsa was pacing back and forth, Anna was standing still, doing her best to calm her sister down, Rhys was re-stringing his bow, Olaf sat against the foot of the mountain with a frown on his face, and Kristoff was explaining what had happened inside to Sven and Bloom who weren't too thrilled with the news.

"So what?" Rhys asked the others. "Did we waste our time going up here?"

"We didn't waste our time." Anna denied. "We just unfortunately used up our precious time on a lost cause." Now that Anna thought about what she said, she realized her contradiction in her statements. "Yeah." Anna agreed. "We wasted our time."

"What are we going to do now?" Olaf asked the others, unsure himself. What he didn't know was that the others were out of ideas just like he was. Kristoff was the only one with a suggestion, and it wasn't a very great one.

"We can't do anything, Olaf." Kristoff said. "You heard Arthar. There's no way he'll help us, no matter what we say."

"We could say please?" Olaf suggested.

"We already said please." Informed Anna. "Still the answer is no."

"Well," Olaf said, "isn't he a grumpy pants."

Elsa was being awfully silent while pacing back and forth. The others didn't put a single thought to it. They just assumed Elsa was thinking of another plan which was doomed to fail.

"Do you think he even knows how to help Kai?" Anna asked. "He said he couldn't."

"Then he said he wouldn't." Rhys reminded. "If there's one thing I'm good at besides using a bow-"

"And robbing people." Kristoff added.

"It's that I can read people." Rhys continued. "Although, he's technically not a human, and I'm pretty sure the term "person" doesn't apply to non-humans, but I read him nonetheless. Arthar knew something, I'm sure of it."

"I don't doubt that." Kristoff agreed. "But it doesn't matter whether or not he could help us. He didn't. No one else can help us beside him. That guy is as stubborn as a rock. No pun intended."

"We can't sit on our asses and wait for him to say yes." Rhys said. "I have a feeling that he'll be willing to wait us out if he must."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Rhys?" Anna asked.

"You want my personal opinion, then." Rhys assumed. "Well, I suggest we go back to Arendelle, you give me my money, I'll be off, and Elsa can find another beau."

Rhys could feel his lips freeze. He soon found ice covering his mouth, much to his surprise. The archer looked over at Elsa and saw that her face was not appreciating his words. It was probably best for him to shut up. Lucky for him, Elsa saw to his silence.

"Any more bright ideas?" Elsa asked, directing her words specifically at Kristoff since she knew that he was the next one to doubt their endeavors. Kristoff seemed to know that too.

"Look, Elsa." Kristoff said. "Kai is important to all of us, whether you believe it or not. Believe me when I say that I want to do whatever I can in my power to bring him back. But, look at what just happened. There's nothing we can do. I know for a fact that we're not people who would force the help from Arthar."

"I know." Elsa said. She was starting to trust Kristoff more and more with Kai's fate. The entire journey, she had sort of resented her brother in law. Elsa was glad that she could see a change for the better in their relationship.

Elsa aimed her hand at the ice on Rhys' mouth and they turned into snowflakes which drifted downwards. She felt sorry for the guy. She knew she couldn't silence him forever.

"We can't sit here forever deciding our next move." Anna said. "We need to decide now or never."

"I have an idea." Elsa said, truly believing that what was on her mind could be the key to saving Kai. "We need to appeal to Arthar. We need to show him that we mean well."

"As if words weren't enough." Kristoff muttered. Then, he spoke louder. "What do you suggest we do?"

"We find this Gift of the Moon Arthar mentioned." Elsa explained. "It's obviously of great importance to him, and it's the reason he lives in exile. If we bring it back to him, he'll have a reason to come home. Therefore, he'll be in our debt."

"Elsa, I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Anna apologized, "but that's easier said than done."

"She's right." Kristoff agreed, seeing Anna's point of view. "He lost the stone years ago. A lot can happen in this huge stretch of time. For all we know, the stone could be an ocean away."

Elsa realized the stupidity in her plan. They were right. It was ridiculous to even think about doing the impossible. She should've thought before she spoke. Elsa feared that she made herself look like a fool in front of her family.

Before Elsa could apologize, Rhys spoke up. "It might not be." Rhys countered.

"What would you know?" Kristoff asked.

"I don't know." Rhys confessed. "But Arthar did say that it was a white stone, right? There was a short memoir that the thief, Bandit Bill, somehow lost a hold of. And miraculously, I came across it. The memoir was the reason I came to Arendelle in the first place."

"We don't have time to listen to the entire story." Kristoff said. "What's your point?"

"My point is," Rhys continued, "that the memoir spoke of Bill's Big Score. It was a troll relic that was described as a stone, no bigger than the hand of a full grown man, that shined white like the moon."

"You're suggesting that the stone Bill came across is the same one that Arthar lost." Elsa said.

Rhys nodded. "And, I'm pretty sure Bill was the one to take it from Arthar in the first place. This "Gift of the Moon" was the thing I have been searching for all of this time."

The coincidence was incredible. It was unlikely. Was it coincidence, or was it fate? Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff have been taught that everything happens for a reason. Maybe their encounter with Rhys was what fate intended for them all.

"I hate to break it to you," Kristoff said. He seemed to always be the one to break it to someone. "but that really doesn't make things any better. We find one connection. Yay! But, that's it. You said you never came close to finding this thing, and just because we have more people than you did doesn't make things easier to find it."

"From what I know," Rhys argued, "Bill never lost possession of the stone. He had it with him until death. And, Bill almost always operated in Arendelle, meaning that the stone is still here somewhere."

Kristoff didn't doubt Rhys' theory. It was the fact that everything thought it would be so easy to find that made him doubt their goal. The stone was tiny, and Arendelle was ginormous. It literally could be anywhere. Bill could have easily stashed it somewhere hidden from others so that he would be the only one dead or alive who knew of its location. They didn't have enough years in their lives to search every corner of every tree and leave no stone un-turned to find the rock. Looking for it would be in vain. Kristoff hoped that Rhys had more information about it, because if he didn't, it would all be such a waste of time.

"Is there anything else you could add?" Elsa requested.

"Not much else." Rhys confessed.

"We know what we're looking for." Anna stated. "We just need a place to look."

"What about Bill's cabin?" Olaf suggested. "Rhys said he'd been there."

"Aye." Rhys confirmed. "But if it were there, I wouldn't be here now, would I?"

"Are you sure you checked the cabin thoroughly?" Elsa asked, making sure that there wasn't something he was leaving out.

"Thoroughly as I allowed myself to search." Rhys said. "I wasn't willing to risk setting off any traps at all, so I only looked through what I could see and opened two chests. Nothing."

"Then it's still possible for the stone to be there." Anna said. "I'm sure you didn't start digging outside of the cabin. Maybe there might even be a secret door inside which you overlooked."

"Could be." Rhys said. "If you're willing to check, I'm willing to show you the way."

"We have to check." Elsa asserted. She then looked at Kristoff who was being awfully silent during the whole exchange. She knew that he will be the first one to say no to the plan. It was just his nature to do so. He couldn't help the way he thought. "So?" Elsa asked. "You coming?"

Kristoff sighed and closed his eyes, facing the ground. "You know we're chasing a cold trail." Kristoff said. "We're basing this all off of a theory."

Before Elsa could chew him out, Kristoff continued to talk.

"But, I won't give up so easily, believe it or not." He continued. "Rhys," Kristoff then opened his eyes again and looked toward the other human male in the group. "Lead the way."

* * *

"Before any of you ask if that is it," Rhys warned, "I want to inform you that we are an uncountable amount of miles away from civilization. I also want to point out that there isn't any other cabin in the area. Why would there be? If that wasn't it, I wouldn't have led you here. Now, is there anybody who wants to ask if that is it?"

No one obliged.

"Good." Rhys said. "And yes, that is it."

The cabin they were all staring at was less than stellar. It looked like a normal, average cabin. No one could suspect that it was the home of a legendary bandit. It was set up in the middle of a clearing with stumps all around. It looked like the wold cut from the trees was made into the cabin.

It was about midnight. The moon shined brightly into the clearing. Besides the moonlight, there were no other forms of light. The cabin looked completely dim on the inside. Of course it would. The last person to take residence there died many years ago, and no one had called it home since. Perhaps Rhys was the only one in the world who knew of its existence.

"So you guys think that the stone is in there?" Kristoff asked, skeptical as always.

"It better be." Elsa hoped.

"I'm just saying," Kristoff continued, "an old, abandoned, creepy cabin doesn't seem like a place to hold the greatest item that ever came into the possession of the great race of trolls. Forgive me for thinking that this place isn't a grand place to hold an item of such importance."

"I see where he's coming from." Anna said. "Maybe Rhys didn't find it because it wasn't inside. But, if Bill never lost contact with the stone, it has to be somewhere close to him. If not in the cabin, then probably outside."

Once again, Anna surprised all of them with her logical theories. Anna was smart, but her clumsiness and optimism overshadowed that. People didn't give her enough credit. Too many people underestimated her, and she was smart enough to use that to her advantage.

"Possibly." Rhys said, giving Anna credit where credit is due. "Elsa and I can go into the cabin and investigate while you guys stay out here and look around. Look for any signs of unnatural placement like piles of dirt."

"And you guys can help us watch our backs." Elsa said. "Sven and Olaf can stand guard while you two look."

"Let's not waste any time then." Kristoff said.

He then walked away from the group and Anna followed. Sven and Olaf began to walk around the perimeter of the clearing, doing their duty. Elsa and Rhys then looked at each other, knowing what they had to do.

"Ladies first." Rhys said, waving his hand to the direction of the cabin.

"Oh, such a gentleman." Elsa sarcastically said. "How nice of you to send me into that creepy old house of wood."

She then began to walk with Rhys to the cabin, prepared for anything. She wouldn't be surprised if a ghost pops out after they've opened the door. The cabin looked like a place that held ghosts.

Before the two knew it, they found themselves at the doorstep of the cabin. Elsa placed her hand on the wooden doorknob to find it extremely cold. The door, as well, was just as cold. Abandoned was not the best word to describe the cabin. Forgotten was the best.

"I need to ask." Elsa said to Rhys. "Did you find his body?"

"No." Rhys answered. He remembered every detail from his previous visit to the cabin. Everything was dusty and old. He vaguely remembered the placement of things inside, but there was never the indication of where Bill's body could've went. His memoirs stated that he never left the area of his home. That begged the question: Where is Bandit Bill's body?

Elsa, who was getting more and more freaked out about entering the cabin, reluctantly twisted the doorknob and pulled. She half expected the room to have been locked, but she wasn't one to complain about things being easy.

Entering the cabin, she scanned the room. Although it was quite dim, the moonlight that seeped in through the door allowed her to vaguely see objects and furniture around the cabin.

The cabin itself was in a square shape. At the far left corner, diagonal from where Elsa was facing, was a bed that was placed against the wall. It's sheets and blankets looked like they were made out of pelts rather than fabric. To the left corner right next to Elsa was a drawer. The far right corner diagonal to Elsa and Rhys was a table with books and papers on top of it. An empty jar of ink was placed next to a quill. To the right corner right next to Elsa was a small table with dozens of candles set up, each almost completely used up.

"Everything the same to you, Rhys?" Elsa asked.

"Other than the company," Rhys started, "I'd say it's about the same."

"And still no white stone." Elsa said. She then looked over at the drawers on her left. "Did you check those drawers?" She inquired.

"One would think that if a man was looking for something," Rhys said, acting as though Elsa thought he was stupid, "he would look in the most obvious places."

Elsa, not too happy with his sarcasm, took that as a yes. She should've known better than to ask someone with as much cunning as Rhys that question.

"What did you find?" Elsa asked.

"Nothing of importance." Rhys said. "Just the usual things you would find from a bandit. Knives, gold, which I pocketed mind you, and-"

"The gold we melted?" Elsa asked, not facing Rhys' face as she recalled the thing she had done.

"Aye." Rhys confirmed. "Knives, gold, and fingers."

"Fingers?" Elsa asked, making sure she heard that right. She must have looked disgusted.

"Just joking, your majesty." Rhys said.

Elsa opened and looked through each and every drawer, making sure to not ignore a single detail. Unfortunately, Rhys was right. Nothing could be found but knifes and clothes. No fingers though. Elsa was relieved to find no dismembered body parts. She was, however, afraid that she would come across one sooner or later. In her head, she was trying to guess whether it be a head or a hand.

"Check the desk." Elsa ordered Rhys. "There could be something that will give us a clue."

Rhys, who had just finished lighting a few candles with his own personal matches, turned around and approached the desk. Elsa, on the other hand, focused all her attention on something else. The fur blanket that covered the bed overlapped the bed and was on the floor. It was entirely possible, or even probable, that something was being hidden under the blankets.

"Rhys?" Elsa asked, requesting his attention.

"Hm?" Rhys responded.

"Did you check under the bed?" Elsa asked, double checking with Rhys because she was sure that he had already done so.

But, Rhys stopped looking through the things on top of the desk and turned towards the direction of the bed. He looked down at the wooden bed and tried to recall whether or not he searched under it. But, he was sure he overlooked it.

"I don't think so." Rhys answered. "I thought I was thorough, but-"

"It's fine." Elsa interrupted. She then grabbed the side of the blanket, pulled it off of the floor, and threw it back on top of the bed. That was when her hopes rose. There was an indent on the floor, parallel to the bed but only two inches apart. It looked like the side of a trapdoor.

Rhys, who saw what Elsa had just discovered, approached the bed and stood next to her.

"Of course." Rhys said. "The one place I forgot to check is the one place which would prove most useful to us."

"Well," Elsa continued, "I guess we best move the bed. Be a dear would you?"

Rhys looked over at Elsa and raised an eyebrow as if to say "Why me?" It didn't look like Elsa was willing to help at all, and Rhys didn't appreciate that. Of course, Elsa's physical work was limited and Rhys was probably three times as stronger as she was. Then, Elsa gave him puppy dog eyes to say please. Rhys, who couldn't handle anymore of it, walked to the foot of the bed and pulled.

The legs of the bed scratched against the wooden floor, leaving a wretched scratching sound. Elsa cringed as Rhys pulled. But, she kept her eyes slightly open while cringing because of what she saw. Indeed, there was a trapdoor under the bed. It had a square shape with a wooden handle to pull it up. It was also fairly large, or at least large enough to fit a bulky man through.

"It must lead underground." Rhys pointed out.

"Glad you graduated from the School of Saying Obvious Things." Elsa said, making fun of Rhys. In her mind, Elsa realized who she just sounded like. Apparently, Elsa graduated from Kai's School of Making Sarcastic Comments.

"Let's not waste any time, then." Said Rhys, crouching down and taking a hold of the wooden handle.

"Wait." Elsa ordered, putting her hand on Rhys' shoulder. "We need to be more cautious. What if there is something down there?"

"Like what?" Rhys inquired.

"I don't know." Elsa doubtfully answered. "Bats, maybe?"

"Bats." Rhys repeated, looking up at Elsa with an unamused face. "No way they can survive underground this long without something to eat."

"What if it leads to another place?" Elsa asked.

"I don't know." Rhys answered. He then pulled open the trapdoor and let it slam against the wall behind it. Elsa, startled, stepped back, expecting bats to swarm out like crazy. But no such thing happened. "What if?" Rhys continued.

He could see almost nothing besides a faint white glow emanating from the right. Attached to the edge of the trapdoor was what looked like the beginning of a ladder. He hoped that the white glow was what he thought it was. What else could it be? White flames?

Rhys then turned and placed his foot down on the ladder.

"You're just going in there blind?" Elsa asked.

"How else are we going to find out what's down there?" Rhys questioned. "If you're scared, you can just stay up here."

"Let's say I do stay up here." Elsa started. "And let's say you do find the stone. How do I trust that you won't just pocket it and say you found nothing?"

"Smart girl." Rhys complimented. "Exactly why I suggest you come down with me."

Rhys decided that that was where he would end the conversation. He descended down the ladder by about three steps until he felt solid ground. He could've easily dropped down into the trap hole and landed on his feet with no injuries sustained.

On the ground, which was made of wood, Rhys turned to where he saw the light emanating. Immediately, his eyes widened and his jaw almost dropped. Elsa, who had just finished climbing down the ladder, turned to Rhys' direction to see what the big deal was. She, as well, was struck with awe.

The two were in a small tunnel-like room which was only about fifteen feet long and eight feet wide. There was nothing keeping it lit except for one thing. At the corner of the wooden room was the skeletal remains of a man, only visible because of the thing in his hand, and in his hand was a white stone that glowed like the moon, but only faintly.

"Here lies the legendary Bandit Bill." Rhys announced, looking at the skeletal body. The clothes on the skeleton did look like something a bandit would wear.

"He died holding the stone..." Elsa muttered to herself.

"He must have had friends, or at least _a_ friend." Rhys told Elsa. "That would explain the release of his memoir and the bed covering the trap door."

Rhys and Elsa slowly and cautiously approached the skeleton and the stone, careful to not set off anything if things were set up in the first place. Bandit Bill wouldn't give away his score that easily. Although, he probably didn't intend for anyone to find the room in the first place. Rhys, more than Elsa, was confident that they were safe.

When they were only a foot away from the body, Rhys bent down and grabbed the stone out of Bill's hand. He then tossed it around his hands like he would a ball.

"Stop that." Elsa said. "You might drop it."

"I won't." Rhys confidently assured. "My hands are careful. I'm just trying to see if the stone does anything."

"It's not supposed to do anything." Elsa explained. "It's just precious to the trolls. Now, we need to give it to Arthar. Hopefully, it's enough to get him to help."

"And if it's not?" Rhys questioned.

Elsa's face became sterner. "Then I have lost all hope."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. Review/comment to let me know what you think. I apologize that this chapter was shorter than others. We're nearing the end of the second act of my story, and the third and final act will start very soon. I assure you that act three will be almost non stop action. No QOTD today.

Ciao.


	30. Known By Ghosts

**Known By Ghosts**

* * *

"I told you to leave and never come back!" Arthar yelled.

The group was completely surprised to see the old troll standing right in front of them when the stone door to his home fell down. In order to reopen the door, they needed to reuse Rhys' crystal which he gladly offered. Although, he was slightly skeptical on whether the white stone would convince Arthar to help. Rhys, of all people, knew how stubborn people could be. He had had unfortunate encounters with similar people in the past. But, in the end, he would eventually get what he wanted.

When Elsa and Rhys showed the others their spectacular discovery in the cabin, they were awestruck at first. Kristoff was going to ask if it was truly it, but he stopped himself because he realized how stupid that question would be. What else could fit that description? Anna was excited. She pleaded that they leave the cabin area immediately, which they obliged.

On the way back to the mountain, they were talking about what they thought Arthar would say. Rhys was the only one who thought it would be harder than that to get his help. Kristoff was skeptical about Rhys' theory. Anna rebutted the theory completely. Elsa was too busy trying to figure out what Kai's cure could possibly be to join in on the conversation. She only could allow herself to believe one thing; Arthar had to help. After everything they have been through and done, she refused to believe that it would be for nothing. Nothing can be for nothing.

Now, they found themselves once again in the domain of a cranky old troll who was less than fond of humans. A troll who would rather watch the entire species burn rather than aid and help a single one. His bitterness against humans was understandable, but incredibly extreme.

"I swear I'll transform you into moths and butterflies and watch you fly before I smack you to death with my stick!" Arthar threatened. He then smacked his staff against Elsa's foot. She pretended to ignore the pain.

"Wait." Elsa pleaded, motioning for Arthar to stop acting the way he was acting. She should've realized that that would be incredibly hard to do, seeing as how Arthar did and will ever do act one way around the company of those who aren't made of rock. "We came with a gift." Elsa continued. "To express our sincereness and good faith."

"I'll bet you have." Arthar replied, not doubting that they had brought him something. Yet, his mind was still set. There was almost nothing in the world that could change his mind on the matter. "What is you brought? Gold? I have no need for anything man made."

"Which is why we didn't bring you anything man made." Rhys pointed out.

Then, from his pocket, he pulled out a white stone which glowed like moonlight. Arthar's eyes widened when he gazed at the Gift of the Moon. His angry expression immediately died, along with his words. The way his eyes were fixated on the stone and the way that his mouth was slightly ajar made it look like the troll was in a trance.

In his mind, Arthar was going through everything that he was seeing and analyzing what it all meant. Humans, his most despised species, had returned to him the recently fabled Gift of the Moon. The stone which he had lost, and for that inconvenience, he was forced into self exile. He blamed humans for everything bad that had happened to him. He never would've expected for humans to be the ones to right the wrong. And it was a wrong that long needed righting.

"How..." Arthar whispered. He then cleared his throat, whoever it was on the troll's anatomy, and spoke more louder. Loud, yet gentle. Gentle was a side of Arthar none of them had seen before. Gentleness was a side to Arthar we he had not put on in a great deal of years.

"How did you come across it?" Arthar inquired.

"We searched for the cabin of who we thought took it in the first place." Anna answered, peeking over Elsa's shoulder from behind. "We had that information thanks to Rhys."

"Aye." Rhys confirmed.

Anna, especially, thought it was weird for Rhys to say aye. She usually thought that people with accents used that word. Rhys, however, didn't have a special accent at all. Also, the way he spoke, using fancy sentences, was also strange for someone with his profession. She put it to rest in her mind, though. It didn't really seem to matter about Rhys' speech.

"The thief had a memoir which got out." Rhys explained. "And I was the lucky man to have found it tracked it."

"Arthar," Elsa gently called, "fate wanted us to find the stone. It would be too easy otherwise. Fate wanted you to help us."

"Do you even believe in fate?" Arthar inquired. He thought fate was a silly thing for the uneducated to believe in. Fate ties all things together. In the troll culture, fate was tied to both science and magic, even if it's a contradiction.

"When it's relevant." Elsa answered, truthfully. She didn't want to straight out lie and say yes. She believed that everything happens for a reason, but she wasn't sure whether or not the payoff was because of fate. Sometimes, she didn't want to believe in fate. That was because of what happened to her parents.

"Reword that please." Arthar requested, not at all satisfied with that answer. Elsa managed to say something and yet not say something at all.

"We believe faith when we want to." Rhys answered for Elsa, saving her from making a fool of herself. Rhys knew what he was, and well worded was one of those things.

"And this is when you want to." Arthar muttered. "But, I see that fate had brought me back my stone. Hopefully, fate will return to you your friend."

"We can't just let Kai's life and future be determined by something we can't even see., Kristoff argued.

"On the contrary." Arthar rebutted. "You will. I will be merely fate's instrument."

"How is fate involved with whatever you're going to do?" Anna asked.

"Mostly to determine whether or not I remember where I kept my book of magic, spells, and potions." Arthar answered. "Come. We have work to do."

Arthar turned and walked deeper down the hallway, expecting the others to follow. They did oblige to his actions. Elsa, in her head, was dancing out of joy. What she had been worried about for a countless amount of others has been resolved. He was going to help them in the end after all.

Still, how he was going to help them was a complete mystery. Elsa reckoned that she would just have to be patient and see. She entered the library in the middle of the mountain, pondering on Arthar's next move. Arthar's home was less grand the second time around as they lost the feeling of awe that came with entering it in the first place. However, it was still an impressive sight to see.

Everything was still where Elsa and the others last saw them with nothing much to add. There were, however, a larger amount of bottles and herbs on Arthar's working table in the center of the room, next to a pedestal that looked like a table.

"Your majesty," Arthar said, referring to Elsa. "Come with me. Can the rest of you search the bookshelves for a large book with a blue spine."

"That really doesn't make things any more specific, Arthar." Kristoff complained.

"Look at the title." Arthar added. "Out of The Wolf's Reproductive Anatomy and Ancient Classified Troll Magic, which book do you think I would prefer?"

"Fair enough." Kristoff mumbled.

The others broke away to different parts of the book shelves while Elsa followed Arthar down the short few steps onto the lower area of the cave. He led her to the pedestal table and motioned for her to take a seat on it. Elsa, not wanting to deny her host's offer, accepted. It felt nice to sit down for a change.

"Now," Arthar said, "did you see Pabbie prior to his death about your friend's condition?"

Elsa felt like she was talking to a doctor or a lawyer. "Yes." Elsa answered. "We actually brought your brother the unconscious body of Kai." She left out the part where Kai murdered Pabbie to ensure Arthar's willingness to help. However, she was certain that he wouldn't appreciate them avoiding some important details.

But, Arthar was smarter than that. He did the math in his head. Kai's condition seemed urgent, and if they had just arrived to Mount Caelum now, then Kai wouldn't have been like that for a long time. He reckoned that Kai was with this infliction for about a week. If Pabbie was there to help them, he must have died just recently. Elsa made it seem like Pabbie was already in the process of helping them, but if Kai was still like he is, Pabbie's help seemed to not be effective. Either he quit... Or he died. Knowing from Elsa that Kai was violent, Arthar assumed his suspicions.

"Your friend was the one to kill my brother, wasn't he?" Arthar asked.

Elsa couldn't meet Arthar's eyes. She simply nodded, confirming his accusation.

"If you think that will change anything, don't." Arthar assured. "What's done is done. Can't do anything about it, nor can you do anything to change it. You live on with whatever has happened help shape your life onward. I've learned this years ago."

"So, have you changed your mind about humans?" Elsa asked.

"From my current perspective," Arthar started, "I have mixed feelings. Yes, I know of the kindness in many of your hearts, but you cannot deny that there is evil in your kind. Perhaps I don't hate your race as a whole, but I most definitely hate the evil in it. Unfortunately, you cannot deny that evil makes up the majority of your hearts."

Elsa could not.

"Never mind about my feud with humans." Arthar asked. "Tell me more of Kai's condition."

"Where to start?" Elsa asked herself. "Well, he has fire abilities, like me with my ice powers. But, his flames are green now. His eyes compliment that color. His skin is slightly paler. The worst part of it all is his memory. He has none. All he has are orders."

Arthar wasn't going to ask from whom. He knew that Elsa didn't know. If she did, Arthar wouldn't be the first person she would've went to.

"He is... Darker." Elsa continued. "Grand Pabbie said that his memories were taken, not forgotten. And his new personality was due to darkness in his body, heart, and mind."

Arthar's eyes widened, and Elsa noticed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he was hearing it. He had heard of the legend of the darkness taking over the earth in a book he read in the library. But, he dismissed it as nothing more than a fairy tale that parents told to keep their children entertained at night. The dark forces that Elsa spoke of came from no other story but the one he read. Could it be that history is repeating itself?

"I found the book." Anna said from behind Arthar. Kristoff, Rhys, Olaf, Sven, and Bloom hear Anna's words, stopped their search, and walked over to where the others were. Anna placed it on an empty space on Arthar's table, expecting him to start immediately flipping through. However, he stood still, almost petrified.

"Everything alright?" Olaf asked the troll.

"I do not know for sure." Arthar said. "But I'm afraid that bigger things are in the works than your friend. Do you have any idea what is going on?"

There was a mixed answer of shaking heads and no's.

Arthar let his staff lean against the pedestal and climbed onto it, sitting himself right next to Elsa. She looked down over her shoulder so she could get a clear, full view of the troll who was facing away from her but still in the same direction her body was facing.

"You said that there were bigger things at work." Elsa reminded. "I think we deserve to know if it involves us."

Arthar sighed and tried his best to remember the story. A story which he would've forgotten like so many others if it didn't haunt him in his mind. The reason for that is because of just how plausible everything detailed in it could be, knowing that the world he lived in was full of magic.

"There is a story I know well," Arthar began, "depicting an event that happened about three thousand years ago. Of course, no one who lived it was alive to tell the tale. There were four people with extraordinary powers; fire, ice, lightning, and the leader controlled darkness itself. Not the kind of darkness you see when in a dark room or under a shade. No, this darkness could harm people."

The entire group found themselves imagining how this darkness would look like and how it worked. Arthar, himself, didn't know the answer to that question for sure. He did, however, know that he didn't want to see it in his lifetime.

The troll continued the story and said "These four people were shunned by society and given no place among the people with no abilities. In retaliation and anger, they created a magic staff which could harness the powers of darkness and manipulate it to do so many things. The combined power of their blood mixed with darkness was strong enough to completely cover the world in an eternal darkness that blackened the sky, blocking the sun."

"A sky of shadows." Rhys muttered.

"Precisely." Arthar said. "Without the sun, life could not be sustained. Plants started dying, and in result, animals started dying. Soon-"

"People started dying." Kristoff finished.

Arthar didn't deny his statement. He didn't want to be the one to deliver the truth, so he was grateful that Kristoff was brave enough to do it himself. "The ice, fire, and lightning beings felt sorry and pity for the human race which was going to be extinct. They betrayed the dark one at the risk of their own lives. With their lives intact, they joined forces with the armies of men and mustered up a rebel army against the dark oppressor."

"And they defeated the dark one and lived happily ever after?" Anna asked, hoping for it all to have a nice end.

"If only it were that easy." Arthar said. "In the sky of darkness, creatures made of pure darkness formed. They massacred the armies of men, leaving but a handful left, including the powered ones. All hope seemed lost but they were met with unexpected help from an unexpected group. The trolls came to the aid of the humans, despising the dark just as much as humans. Using the magic of the trolls and the metal of men, they forged a sword which could harness light itself. Ludicium, the Sword of Light. The remaining forces of men with the army of trolls and the elementals armed with Ludicium met the dark army and the dark harbinger in battle."

"And I bet it went better the second time around." Elsa assumed.

Arthar smiled, confirming her assumption. "The army of light suffered many casualties, but they were able to defeat the dark one. The sword was able to destroy her body, but her spirit lived on. Before anything could happen, the trolls used a powerful spell and trapped the dark spirit in a tomb never to be found by anyone, and never to be opened. For the sword, however, the trolls did not trust it in the hands of human kind and hid it somewhere only they would know."

"And do you know?" Elsa asked, knowing that Arthar had a vast amount of knowledge. Possibly more wise than Pabbie, even.

"I don't even know if I believe the story is real or not." Arthar answered. The way he said it made it sound like he was avoiding the question. Why he would do that, none of them could know for sure. But, Arthar seemed to know something that the others didn't. Something that could lead him to believe in the relevance of the story.

"Then why bring it up?" Rhys inquired, seeing its relevance as faint.

"Because the darkness you claim your friend Kai to have," Arthar answered, "seems to match the darkness in the tale."

"There are a lot of stories that talk about darkness." Kristoff pointed out in an attempt to put down the theory.

"Figuratively, yes." Arthar corrected. "But the story and Kai's situation personify darkness like an element, almost. And if my brother said that his memories were taken, not forgotten, magic was definitely involved. Magic known only to trolls, and I'm sure a troll didn't do this to him."

"Why rule it out as a possibility?" Kristoff asked, knowing the trolls well enough to understand that not all of the, were perfect angels.

"Dark magic is forbidden to my culture." Arthar answered. "And I've never heard of anyone who practiced dark magic except for this dark harbinger."

"Let me get this straight." Anna said. "You're saying that Kai's memory was taken by an evil lord who is from a tale that depicts an event that happened long ago, and that this person sent Kai after us for some reason. Do we have any proof that this all actually happened?"

Anna didn't rule it out as a possibility, as crazy as it was. She had seen a lot of crazy stuff in her life, and almost nothing would surprise her. But, she didn't feel like they should base everything they know or think from a book which may or may not be fictional.

"I'm not sure if I call this proof," Arthar started, "but I found a very peculiar note when I first came to this library."

"Came to?" Rhys repeated, making sure he heard it right. "You're implying that you didn't build this place."

"You're correct about that." Arthar said. "I found this place, miraculously. I reckon it was built by my kin before me."

"Well, what did the note say?" Olaf asked, curious as always.

"It said," Arthar recalled, "The Sword of Light can be found only where earth touches sky and ground. If this was written, somebody must've known where this sword is. Meaning it has to be real."

"But you've never found the sword." Rhys assumed.

"I never attempted." Arthar confessed. "I never needed to. What good would an ancient sword be to an exiled troll."

"It wouldn't serve as a bad walking stick." Rhys joked.

Elsa was starting to see exactly what they had gotten themselves into. Too many scary connections gave her goosebumps. Dark forces were onto Kai, such as in the story. Ludicium has a very possible chance of actually existing.

She then thought of a scary theory. Kai wanted to take Elsa to someone alive, and Anna told her he mentioned that. In the story, the blood of the four were needed to create this eternal shadow. Assuming the dark harbinger wanted to create another dark sky, she would need the blood of the elementals. Two of the four were known to her. Elsa was starting to realize that the mastermind behind it all was probably the dark one. She sent Kai to get Elsa for... Blood!

"Kai came after me so someone can use my blood." Elsa said. "It is required for another eternal shadow."

"Are you starting to believe in fairy tales, now?" Rhys asked, skeptical on how wise Elsa really was.

"Rhys," Elsa said, glaring at the archer, "we live in a world where rocks come to life and do magic. Where people have extraordinary powers. Where fairies and walking snowmen exist. Why not believe in fairy tales if we live in one?" She then refocused her attention on Arthar who she was intent on sharing the theory with. "The dark one has returned." Elsa confidently said. "Whoever it is, they're after my blood. Why else would they be after me?"

"Four bloods to create a new shadow." Anna recalled. "The dark one his or herself, which accounts for the dark in the mix. Kai, who accounts for fire. Elsa, who accounts for ice. But, there's one more."

"Lightning." Kristoff recalled. "I've never seen anyone control lightning before in my life."

"Well," Elsa said, "you haven't seen a guy with taken memories and a new dark personality until recently, have you?"

"I would not doubt the possibility of there being another powered user." Arthar said. "Now, I no longer doubt the possibility of this story. If this is not what's happening, what else?"

"Someone who could control ice is one thing," Kristoff started, "but we're talking about someone who could very well bring the end of the world. Is anyone this powerful?"

"It would appear so." Arthar unhappily said. "But, not all-powerful as it seems. The dark one is most powerful under complete darkness, and as you can see, day and night cycle normally. She still needs blood to create the shadow." Arthar then looked at Elsa. "Even if we're wrong about the darkness and everything," he continued, "we mustn't let anything happen to you. You must keep yourself safe."

"I'll never be safe if Kai is still running around, crazy." Elsa said. "Before we do anything rash about this darkness, we have to fix Kai. You promised you would."

"I promised I would if I could." Said Arthar, stressing the word could in his sentence. "I'm afraid, I cannot do anything about his memories. He can only get them back from the one who stole it from him, so you'll have to deal with that on your own if you want him back."

"What about the darkness?" Elsa asked. "Pabbie was in the process of extracting it when he was killed. Can you do the same?"

"Pabbie was always better with physical magic." Arthar confessed. "I'm more of a potions master. Perhaps I can make something that will help repress the darkness inside. Although, making it and making it work are different things. He'll have to personally drink it, or else it won't work."

"Wish he were here, then." Anna said to herself.

"Careful what you wish for?" Said Kai's voice from behind Anna.

Before anyone else could react, Kai, who was standing behind Anna, grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back from the group. He then took out his dagger and held it against Anna's throat as everybody else tried to get a grasp on what was going on. By the time they realized it, Kai had pulled Anna a good few yards away from the group with his dagger threatening her life.

"Thought you would show up sooner or later." Kristoff said.

"I'll be honest," Kai started, "I thought I had completely lost you when I landed in that river. Still, I knew where you were going. My map, although soggy, was still in one piece. When I saw those giant walls of ice in the path, I knew I was going the right direction."

"How did you know we were in here?" Arthar asked, knowing that this was the infamous Kai they talked so much about.

"Quick piece of advise." Kai said. "When you're trying to keep yourself hidden in this cave, close the door."

They all turned to the direction of the entrance and exit to find it still open. Arthar cursed in his mind. He always thought that it would be the little things that would get him and others killed. Because of one little slip up, possibly the most dangerous man he has ever and probably will ever meet is in his home with a knife at an innocent girl's throat.

"Who's that?" Kai asked, tilting his head towards Rhys. "He's new. Another lamb waiting for the wolf to slaughter?"

Instinctively, Rhys pulled out his bow and readied an arrow as fast as Kai could flick his wrist. He then aimed it at Kai's head, at the bridge of his nose right between his eyes. Something about Kai was so familiar, yet so different. Now that Rhys laid eyes upon Kai, he wasn't sure if he knew the man at all. Of course, it has been a while for Rhys. He was also certain Kai had no idea who he was.

"Bold yet incredibly stupid." Kai mocked. He pressed his dagger closer against Anna's throat. Any deeper, he would cut her. Anna let out a whimper of fear. The princess looked at Kristoff's face, reassuringly. He gave her a motion that told her to calm down, and that she was going to get out of there.

"Here's my offer." Kai announced. "You, Elsa, come with me, willingly, and subdued. If you do so, I will let your poor sister live."

"If I refuse?" Elsa asked with a determined look on her face, not assuring Kai that his job was going to be easy.

"In that case," Kai answered, "I will slit her throat and you will retaliate and try to fight for your freedom while the others can watch her blood layer the ground. I will defeat you in a fight, regardless of how hard you try."

"I don't want to fight, Kai." Elsa reasoned. "I want you back."

"As if I were yours in the first place?" Kai snickered, still not believing a single word that came out of Elsa's mouth that contradicted what he was told to believe.

"What have you heard from us?" Arthar asked, referring to the conversation he and the others just had about darkness.

"I heard enough." Kai answered. "Something about me drinking a potion, and if you think I'll do that willingly, you're delusional. I won't do what you want. You must do what I want."

"Doesn't seem particularly fair." Olaf muttered.

"Was it fair for me to lose my memory?" Kai asked.

Elsa found a way to turn the conversation around. "Kai, you didn't-"

"Enough!" Kai ordered. His voice gave a startling feeling for everyone. "I don't care what you have to or want to say. It'll just waste my time. Here's what's going to happen. Everyone is going to clear the room right now, minus the rock and her majesty."

As suspected, no one obliged or even moved an inch. Like hell they were going to leave Elsa, Arthar, and Anna at the hands of some madman. But, Kai then moved his dagger a little, making a little cut on Anna's throat, tiny, yet visible and already bleeding. Anna let out a tear in pain, not willing to scream.

"Get out!" Elsa told the others. "Go!"

"No!" Rhys argued. "We can't just-"

"I can handle him." Elsa said, defending her decision. "I can do this on my own. Besides, he's my problem. Not yours."

"He's as much of my problem as he is yours." Kristoff told Elsa. Olaf agreed with Anna, and Sven nodded his head. Bloom crossed her arms, definitely sure that she wasn't going to abandon them.

"We stick together." Kristoff told Elsa. "Despite our differences, we fight together until the end."

"If you fight together," Kai said, "you won't have Anna to fight with you." He threatened Anna again by tightening his grip on her.

"No!" Elsa yelled. "You have to go!" She didn't want them to go, but she had no choice. This was for Anna's life. Anna was the one thing that was still keeping her anchored to the world. She couldn't betray her sister to death. Never again.

"Why don't I just let my arrow fly in between your eyes, asshole?" Rhys asked Kai.

"Don't." Elsa said, putting her hand over Rhys's arrow. It froze completely, and it became too heavy for him to hold. He dropped it on the ground and it shattered like ice. "I can't let him die." Elsa said. "I can do this by myself. I know I can. You just need to have some faith in me."

"I lost all my faith when my son died." Rhys said. Before he could reach for another arrow, Kristoff put his hand on Rhys's shoulder.

"No." Kristoff said. "If she says she can do it, give her a shot." He then looked at Elsa and nodded his head in encouragement. "I know we've had our differences," Kristoff started, "but I'm going to put my faith in you. So will Sven, Olaf, and Bloom. Rhys will give whatever he has left. Good luck."

Elsa smiled despite the fact her sister was technically a hostage.

"But..." Rhys muttered.

"You don't know Kai the way she does." Kristoff told Rhys. "I don't think we're making things any better by staying here, archer."

"That's your wife!" Rhys said. "Don't you want to protect her?"

"Of course I do!" Kristoff exclaimed, offended that anyone would think otherwise. "But Elsa is also my family. I can't be the only one who can protect her." He then turned away from Rhys, certain that he had made his point. He was going to get Rnys out of there, even if that meant dragging him along while Rhys acted like a baby and threw a tantrum.

Kristoff turned to Anna. "I love you." He told her. "I just want you to know that. No matter what happens, remember."

Anna weakly smiled and shed more tears onto Kai's hand. "I love you too." She said back. "Now go before my throats not in one piece."

Kristoff led the others off. Bloom was incredibly reluctant and Kristoff hand to grab her whole body and run with her. Rhys, however didn't move a muscle. As the others ran to the door, he stood, confused as to what he was going to do.

"Go, brave archer." Arthar said to Rhys.

"It's fine." Elsa assured Rhys. "Go back to Arendelle. Kristoff will make sure you get your compensation. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

Rhys reluctantly nodded, giving up his case. He turned to run so Elsa and Arthar could do whatever they were going to do. As he ran, he thought about how all he ever really wanted was family again.

Elsa refocused all of her attention on Kai. Her next words were, "Kai, I know you're in there."

Somewhere, deep inside Kai's conscious, a struggle was taking place. It was a part of his mind where good and evil had personifications as good and bad Kai. The plane which these personified Kai's were in was pitch black, although both Kai's could see each other clearly. It used to be pure white before the darkness took over.

Kai, the good one, lay on his back, with the evil Kai kneeling over him. The dark one had a sword through Kai's chest, not allowing Kai to move.

Kai heard Elsa's voice echo throughout the plane. "Kai, I know you're in there."

He responded by saying: "I am, but I can't get out."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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**End of Act II**

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Author's Note: Hope you guys like the chapter, review, and you know the routine. Don't forget to check out my section at the bottom. If you're a fan of my work or just a reader/viewer, don't miss out on it. Please read the entire thing.

**Important information about future projects:**

I have decided that I probably won't go through with my Percy Jackson story as I originally planned I was going to do. I'm very sorry for those of you who were looking forward to it. It's just that I have lost interest in Percy Jackson and I have only had it in my mind because I recently read the Heroes of Olympus. The project is most likely cancelled, and I'm taking it off of the Future Projects section of my bio.

Instead, I'm going to work on another few Frozen stories which I am completely, undoubtedly interested in. For one, I'm either going to work on my prequel or a rewrite of Phoenix Fire. Which one do you guys prefer?

Now, here's the big event. Drum roll please! I have two great story ideas in my mind that I have interest in writing, and I don't intend to write both at the same time. Both are completely uninvolved with my Phoenix Trilogy. You can call them reboots.

My most preferred one is undoubtedly a drama story with action in it. My main inspiration for it is from the Game of Thrones Telltale Game as many characters and story elements will derive from it. I wouldn't say it is a ripoff, but rather draws lots of inspiration. A Frozen adaption of the Game of Thrones game if you will. There won't be a clear main protagonist, but rather several protagonists. This will have POV chapters. The downside is that the story will just take place in the world of Frozen, and the characters from the film itself won't have as important roles.

My next idea is similar to X-Men, especially X-Men: First Class, taking the idea that Elsa isn't the only one with powers in the world. Like my previous works, it's going to be more adventure driven with action, but I may write the other idea since I want to tread on unfamiliar territory.

**QOTD: Should I write my prequel or the rewrite? Should I write the Game of Thrones inspired story or the X-Men inspired story? (Your vote may or may not determine the outcome of what I choose)**


	31. Allegiance - Part I

**Act III: The Last Light**

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**Allegiance - Part I**

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"Close the door." Kai ordered Arthar. Arthar, who was less than thrilled with the idea of isolated himself with Elsa, Anna, and Kai, was reluctant to do so at first and did nothing about closing the door or anything of the sorts. But, Kai shook Anna roughly, making her let out a whelp of distress. Elsa cautiously raised her hand up, motioning for Kai to calm down and to do no further harm to her sister.

"Now!" Kai demanded.

Arthar was given no choice at that point. In no way did he want to do the action at all. In no way his desire to help humans that dire. But, he couldn't just stand there and watch while Kai harmed an innocent girl who had done so much more right than wrong for Arthar. Anna was the more is sympathetic one along with Elsa, while Rhys and Kristoff weren't as kind around Arthar as the girls. Probably due to the fact that he had hurt them during their first encounter.

The troll raised and pointed his staff to the direction of the entrance, down the hall of stone. He flicked his wrist upward, and in reaction, his staff flicked upward as well. Instantly as commanded, the stone door flew up from under the ground and closed completely, leaving the room darker than it was before with only the torches lighting up the area.

From the outside, pounding could be heard from the door. Pounding and shaking. The others were trying their best to get in, but to no avail. Arthar, sure that they were going to attempt to open the door using the crystal method, used his own magic to make sure that it would stay closed until he said otherwise.

"At least you can follow directions." Kai darkly complimented. That was most likely the nicest thing Kai had ever said to anyone while under the influence of darkness. No one else could expect something quite as nice coming from Kai's lips while his eyes were still green and angry.

"Kai, I know what you want." Elsa sympathetically said in a very calm manner as if Anna's life was of no concern of hers. Of course, it was a concern though. It was her biggest concern at the moment. It wasn't trying to get Kai back, no. It was saving her sister from death which she had made her life goal.

"It's a simple thing." Kai elaborated. "I drop the girl if you agree to stand down, and then you come with me willingly or not. Either way, I'm taking you with me, like it or not. The only variable in that problem is what condition you're in. That all falls on you. I just need to bring you in alive. Missing an arm, an eye, or an ear wouldn't be a problem."

Elsa had zero intention on going with Kai willingly. She did, however, intend to get Anna out of his arms and into hers. How she was going to that was a mystery. She had to act and think fast. Kai was always the fast thinker and quick acting one out of the two. Elsa was a bit more cautious with everything. Now, she hoped that some of Kai's traits had rubbed off on her as that would be incredibly useful in that situation.

"What is it you're after, Kai?" Elsa asked, believing that the best and most efficient way to solve the problem was to smack some sense into Kai.

"You." Kai answered. "Have I not made that clear enough? Perhaps I need to paint the sky with the words so that you'll remember."

Well, Elsa thought, at least he still has some sense of humor. Not funny at all, but a sense. At least everything wasn't washed away when a new normal host took over his body along with his memory being wiped.

"That's not what I meant." Elsa explained. "I'm asking what do you get out of this?"

"My memories." Kai firmly answered. It was instant. He didn't take the few seconds many would to make up a lie. He told the truth, yet he won't believe the truth from those who he thought he couldn't trust.

"They were taken from you." Elsa explained.

"I don't care how or why they're missing." Kai told her. "I just want to get them back, and the only way I can do that is if I bring you in."

"At least it's not personal." Elsa murmured to herself. Miraculously, Kai was able to hear her murmur and clearly make out what she was saying. It was as if the darkness heightened his senses, and in some ways, it did. He was stronger than before, although more reckless. Kai was incredibly reckless in the first place, so that's saying something.

"No, it's not personal." Kai confirmed. Then, he thought about it a little more. "Well, maybe it's a little personal. It wasn't easy finding you, and what happened back there on the bridge is something that I won't forget. I'll admit that it'll feel good to bring you in. My quest will be over. My past will be unlocked."

"How many times must I remind you," Elsa said to Kai, "that we are a part of your past?! We've been through so many things together. I won't let that all be washed away because of some dark one's doings!"

"Don't act like you truly know me!" Kai exclaimed, angry at Elsa for repeating the same points over and over again without variation and without physical proof of what she says besides her own words.

"I do truly know you!" Elsa argued. "What's your full name?"

"Kai..." Kai couldn't finish his sentence. The thought of him having a last name did not cross his mind one bit after all of this time. It just slipped through the cracks. Now that he tried to actually recall it, he just couldn't. He figured that it was one of the things that was taken from him along with the memories. He intended to answer that question for himself.

"You're full name is Kai Yeager." Elsa told him. "You were born in a small town outside of Teranhall Keep, and you had power over fire since you were a little boy."

Kai's grip on Anna began to loosen as Elsa spoke. Anna could feel it, and motioned her hands for Elsa to tell her to keep going.

"I have no way of knowing that for sure." Kai said. "For all I know, everything you say is false. That's what they told me to believe!"

"And do you truly trust them?" Elsa inquired.

"I trust them much more than I trust you." Kai answered, avoiding the question in some way. Of course he didn't trust them. The mere look of both Mara and Deren was untrustworthy. But, they promised him what he wanted most, and he would burn down any and every city of that was what it took to get what he wanted.

Elsa sighed and readied herself for another round of history for Kai.

"You were banished from your home when you were only eight years old." Elsa continued.

"If you know me so well," Kai said, "then tell me exactly what I have done."

"You burned the face of your friend." Elsa said.

In his head, Kai was piecing together what Elsa had told him into a scene. For some strange reason, a memory which was more like a fragment of a scene, played in his head, depicting Kai as a child striking the face of an unknown child with fire in midair. It seemed so real in his head as if it had actually happened.

Kai got a little woozy when he replayed the scene. Before waking up in the base of Mara, he had no recollection of anything at all. The scene was all he had of his life before losing his memory. It was just like Elsa had described.

Kai's grip became even more loose on Anna, although she didn't dare break free just yet. He closed his eyes and shook his head in an attempt to get the memory away from his mind. When he reopened them, Elsa could see that they had changed red for a second, and then back to green.

Elsa smiled, proud of herself. "Kai," Elsa said, "you're-"

Before Elsa could finish her sentence, she was electrocuted from behind. Blue sparks of lightning and electricity danced all around her body as she twitched in extreme pain. She had no idea where the lightning was coming from, nor did she understand how whatever it was work. At least Kai was so startled by it that he let go of Anna who collapsed on the ground and crawled away to her sister in a rush.

The lightning had stopped just in time for Elsa to not lose consciousness, but she unfortunately fell on her knees. Smoke and steam came out of Elsa's body, and she was doing her best to keep a grip on reality.

Kai knew exactly what the cause of it was. There was one and only one thing it could've been. Although the source was on the same side as Kai was in, it wasn't a welcome face.

"What was that?" Anna asked Arthar, aiding her sister.

"The lightning user." Arthar gravely answered, turning back to face the source of the lightning.

Out of the shadows between two large bookshelves on the opposite side of the room from Kai came a man clad in black with a sword strapped to his waist. The man's facial features included brown hair and a scarred left side face.

"Deren." Kai said, glaring at his "acquaintance".

Elsa remembered the name. Although her past interactions with Deren were incredibly limited, she knew that he was a fiend. A monster who sought nothing but for Kai's blood to decorate the ground. She had thought him dead. Kai told her he saw him die. His presence was impossible. Was this a dream? The pain she had just experienced answered that question for her.

Elsa turned to Arthar, still recovering from what had just happened. "Get... Out of here." Elsa ordered.

"Not without you." Anna pleaded her sister.

"I can handle these two." Elsa assured Anna. "They see you as nothing but an obstacle or leverage. You're safer away from me."

"No." Anna said. "We stick together. We can't be apart ever again." Elsa could see tears starting to run down Anna's cheek from the corner of her eye. Elsa smiled and gently put her hand on Anna's cheek to comfort her.

"They won't kill me." Elsa promised Anna. "I'm in no real danger. You, on the other hand... You're expendable. Go now."

Anna, knowing that there was no point in arguing and that sooner or later, she had to go, reluctantly nodded her head. She then leaned in and kissed Elsa on the cheek in a sisterly manner. Afterword, she looked up past Elsa's shoulder to find Deren slowly approaching them and Kai.

"I hope you win." Anna said, smiling with tears eyes.

Elsa smiled but did not respond. That left Anna less than hopeful. Elsa, herself, knew that there was no way to get the better of both Kai and Deren at the same time. She couldn't allow herself to crush Anna's hopes entirely by saying her doubts out loud.

Kai was too busy focusing on Deren approaching to see the schemes of Arthar and Elsa. Arthar raised his staff up gently and the exit opened, but Kai ignored that.

"What are you doing here?" Kai asked angrily at Deren. "This is my assignment."

As he said that, Anna scrambled up off of the ground and made a run for it. Kai paid her no attention, but Deren let his eyes move her direction. However, he didn't do anything about it. In his mind, he saw the princess as nothing but a minor detail and/or problem. It wasn't his desire or intention to ruin Anna's safety. When she stepped foot out the door, it automatically closed.

"It _was_ your assignment." Deren pointed out. "An assignment which you are no closer to completing than the day you were given it."

Elsa was now able to do all body functions without being stiff. She looked at Arthar before she stood up completely.

"You should go." Elsa told the troll.

"I can help you aid him." Arthar told her. He knew that that was impossible, though. It would take some time, and time was something they did not have. "All we-"

Lightning zapped Arthar from behind. The force was so powerful it sent him flying up towards a bookshelf where he crashed into. Books and broken wood proceeded to topple over and bury Arthar when he crashed onto the ground. There was no sign of him under the ruin. Kai watched the scene with indifference while Elsa watched in horror.

"Let's not let a fourth fool ruin the fun of us three." Deren said.

"Arthar!" Elsa screamed in horror. She had no idea whether or not he was dead, but the pile above him wasn't moving. There was no sign of movement there. It was as if the body had went limp completely.

Anger. That was all and only what filled Elsa's mind. An innocent man had been hurt and possibly killed just because of her. Just because he was willing to help the wrong person. She clenched her fists so hard that her fingernails dug into her skin. She then turned to Deren, slowly, not meeting his eyes.

"You bastard..." Elsa mutter, quietly.

"What was that?" Deren asked, requesting a louder voice.

"You bastard!" Elsa repeated. She then shot a blast of ice at Deren who strafed to the side, barely missing it.

"How'd you get in here?" Elsa asked the scarred man.

"The door was open," Deren answered, "so I snuck in hoping to see a show. I was not disappointed."

Deren continued to walk forward while Elsa slid back. Now, Elsa, Kai, and Deren found themselves standing in a triangle which was about ten feet apart from each other. Elsa's back was to the pedestal, so she couldn't slide back any further without hitting it.

"Why are you here?" Kai asked Deren. "You're supposed to be Mara's hound, doing her bidding. I was sure that she had a task for you."

"I am no ones hound." Deren warned. "Those who think so will have their tongues ripped out so they can't say it again. But I digress. Mara and I both feared that you would be compromised during your endeavors. She," Deren pointed his head at Elsa when he said she, "would get into your head and you would be doomed to fail."

"She did not get into my head." Kai argued.

"Did she not?" Deren asked. "I recall you being hesitant when she said things that you wanted to hear."

"I didn't want to hear anything!" Kai angrily said.

"She's a liar." Deren told Kai.

"My conscious is clear." Elsa told Deren. "I spoke and will only ever speak the truth. Kai, listen to me. Deren's words are poison. Don't let him tell you anything other than what I tell you. Only one of us speaks the truth, and it's not him."

"Funny." Deren said. "I could speak the same about you."

"How dare you turn Kai against me?" Elsa said, quite calmly in fact that it sounded almost intimidating.

"I did nothing." Deren defended. "His memories are gone, and I was merely trying to help him take back what is rightfully his."

"You know as well as I that I'm key to this restoration." Elsa told Deren. "My words are just as good as his memories."

"Don't listen to her, Kai." Deren warned. "Never trust a woman with an agenda."

"I should trust her no more than I trust you." Kai said to Deren. "The only reason you're here is because you didn't trust me to get the job accomplished."

"For good reason!" Deren argued. "You would've dropped and forgot about your task if I didn't jump in. You've been compromised, Kai, and that is failure. You couldn't keep her words out of your head."

"What if she speaks the truth?" Kai asked. "And you've been manipulating me the entire time?"

At the same time, Deren said "She's not!" while Elsa said "I am!".

"Kai," Elsa said, ready to reason, "this dark user has taken your memories. I'll bet they were the ones to promise to return it to you as well."

"Poison." Deren said, repeating the word. "That's what her words are. Although, I'll guess it doesn't matter. You're too unpredictable at this point with her feeding you lies."

"And who are you to do something about that?" Kai inquired, curious as to what Deren's intentions were.

"I'm going to have to bring you in." Deren told Kai. "Back to Mara. I'll tell her the truth that you have failed your mission and that I brought the Snow Queen in on your behalf."

"There's no way she'll bring my memories back if you tell her that." Kai realized.

"Do you think that your memory is truly a concern of me and her?" Deren asked. "Delusional."

"You're bringing me to this Mara?" Elsa asked, trying to see whether she heard them straight and correctly. "Have fun with that. I'd rather return to my family and I'm bringing Kai back with me."

Kai raised his eyebrow at her, confused as to what that meant.

Deren unsheathed his sword and held the handle with both of his hands. "I'm bringing you both in to Mara, whether you like it or not. It's up to you whether or not you're missing a limb."

Kai then unsheathed his dagger and sword, holding his dagger backhand like he always does. "I'm not letting you ruin my chance of getting what's mine." Kai said to Deren. "I'll tell Mara that you were merely a complication." He then turned to Elsa. "And for you... You're coming with me."

Elsa created two swords made of ice, one in each hand. "I'm not going anywhere with either of you." She defiantly said. "If you're taking me back, I'll be a corpse."

They all wanted different things. They all had different goals. They all had a reason to defend themselves and attack. There was no making deals between the three. T was fight or flight.

At the same time, the three charged to the center of their triangle, ready to strike.

Anna almost tripped on the way out of the mountain. She could hear the door close and rise up behind her as her foot met grass. She was panting out of her sprint, sweating out of her fear, and bleeding out of her cut. She had seen better days.

"Anna!" Kristoff's voice said.

Anna turned to her right where she saw Kristoff sprinting towards her, relief in his face. Past him, Rhys and the others were bundled up around a large tree. They, too, were incredibly relieved to see Anna safe and sound. Sven and Rhys, who were sitting, got up and ran to Anna behind Kristoff.

She wanted so bad to be back in the embrace of a man who had no intention of killing her. Anna ran to Kristoff, faster than he was running to her, and when she slammed into his body, he kept his footing and hugged her tightly. Then, knowing that she wasn't around anybody who would judge her and comfort her instead, Anna began to cry.

"It's alright." Kristoff promised.

"No," Anna gravely said in between sobs, "it's not."

By that point, the others have reached the group and stood behind Kristoff. Rhys noticed that something, or rather someone, was missing. Someone rather important if he said so himself.

"Where's Elsa?" Rhys asked.

Elsa was the main reason Anna was crying to begin with. Her sister had urged her to leave her alone with the company of a troll, and two powered individuals with the intent of... Whatever their intent was. Anna had no idea herself. She did know, however, that it was related to the story that they were told earlier. Elsa's role in it wasn't entirely positive, but she was key.

"She and Arthar stayed behind but they told me to escape." Anna told the others. She then broke away from Kristoff, somewhat ashamed of herself for not being able to do anything inside. "Elsa told me that she could handle it herself and that they wouldn't kill her."

"They?" Kristoff inquired.

"The lightning user." Anna said. "He showed up, and he's real."

"Do you know who it is?" Kristoff asked.

"It's Strife." Anna answered. "Er, I mean Deren. Deren controls lightning."

"Since when?" Kristoff asked. "And I thought he was dead."

"Why don't you ask him questions instead of me?" Anna said.

"They wouldn't kill her? Kill is oddly specific." Rhys said.

Kristoff gave him a look that said "You are not helping". He really wasn't. They couldn't risk putting anymore negative thoughts in Anna's mind without her suffering a breakdown of some sorts. Emotional or perhaps even mental.

"We have to go in there and help." Olaf said.

"There's no way in." Kristoff sadly announced. "The only entrance is closed with some sort of magic."

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Anna exclaimed.

"No." Kristoff said. "We can't. But what choice do we have?"

"We can just go back to Arendelle and let Elsa handle this." Rhys offered.

"And leave her to deal with those psychopaths?" Kristoff asked.

"Hey, I don't like that idea any more than you do." Rhys argued. "But Elsa did tell us that she'll meet us in Arendelle."

"That's assuming she'll live." Kristoff pointed out.

When Anna heard that grave sentence, her eyes started to water more with the thought of Elsa not making it out of there.

"Like you said," Rhys said to Anna, "they need her. They won't dare kill her unless she is of no use to them. Right now, she is of use to them. But, they don't have her in their clutches just yet. There's still a chance and a probability that Elsa will get out fine, but who knows where and when? Arendelle is where she is expecting us, and Arendelle is where we should go."

Anna and Kristoff exchanged glances. Everything that came out of Rhys' mouth was logical. His lips moved to the truth and probably theories. He wouldn't say that if he didn't have complete and utter faith in Elsa and Arthar. He considered Elsa his friend, although he had little. Rhys wouldn't lose faith in a friend.

"What if she doesn't make it?" Anna said. "And we're in Arendelle, and we have no idea."

"They won't kill her." Rhys reminded. "And if she had lost her fight, and if the story to,d to us would be true, we would know she lost by the color of the sky. I'm hoping it stays blue, and Elsa isn't one to let me down on that."

Anna wiped her tears away and sniffed her runny nose. She nodded, reluctantly. She was Elsa's sister, and as a sister, she couldn't just leave Elsa. But, as a sister to a queen, she couldn't just ignore Elsa's request.

"Are you kidding me?" Kristoff asked, thinking that Anna had officially lost her mind.

"I have faith in my sister." Anna confidently said, yet there was a sense of vulnerability in her voice. "Do you?"

Kristoff pondered his answer. He and Elsa did not always see eye to eye recently, but the two were related whether they liked it or not. They had to care about each other's well being for Anna's sake. Kristoff didn't doubt Elsa's abilities, just her motivation at times. But now, her motivation was something Kristoff would fight for.

"Fine." Kristoff said. "Let's go home. And I promise you, Anna, that Elsa will come back safe and sound, with Kai back to normal."

Rhys wanted to say "Don't make promises you can't keep", but he didn't really think that that would boost Anna's morale.

"Let's go home, then..." Olaf disappointedly said, upset that his creator was fighting an intense battle with almost no help whatsoever.

As the remaining people of the group walked away from the mountain with a heartache, they talked about how Arthar was there for Elsa. Unbeknownst to them, Arthar was incapacitated. Probably dead.

Inside the mountain, Elsa fought for her protection. If she fell, they would use her for the eternal shadow. Inside the mountain, Elsa fought for the world.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter! I was going to include the three-way fight scene in this chapter initially, but seeing as how it was going to be quite long, I decided to split it into two chapters, including this chapter as the confrontation, and the next as the actual fight. This marks the beginning of act three, and that means the climax of the story. This is also the beginning of the end of the story. I'm sad to say goodbye to Kai and Deren and all of my OCs as this will probably be their last feature.

I am not, however, going to stop writing Frozen related stories. I decided that I'm going through with my Game of Thrones Telltale Frozen story, which is pretty much story elements from the GOT game in the Frozen universe, although I'm adding a lot of my own twists. You guys can expect a story like that after this one is finished.

Hope you liked the chapter. As always, review/comment to let me know what you think.

**QOTD: Who do you think will win the fight? Kai, Deren, or Elsa?**

Ciao.


	32. Allegiance - Part II

**Allegiance - Part II**

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The clothes that Elsa had on her at that moment were not at all fit for battle. While she ran towards the others, she made a quick spin and let her hands do the work. Her travel clothes were replaced by the elegant and beautiful yet practical ice armor she had wore not so long ago. The armor complimented her figure and didn't make her look like she had the physique of a female knight.

Elsa made the mistake of striking first when the three met up in combat. She was tutored by Kai in the ways of combat, and both Kai and Deren knew the same fast combat swordplay taught to them during their run with the Bandits. Kai taught Elsa the same techniques he learned, and although she had a good handle on it, she wasn't on the mastery level Kai and Deren were at. Already, she was at a disadvantage in the fight. Perhaps the one thing she had in her favor was her power over ice. There were so many more things Elsa could do with her powers compared to Kai and Deren.

She failed to realize that her powers had limitations during her current state as she had both hands occupied holding an icy sword. Deren currently held his sword with two hands, but it looked like he was able to hold it with one hand if he chose to wield it that way. By doing that, he would free one hand and there would be shocking consequences for Elsa. But, at least he was currently unable to use electricity and lightning. The same goes for Kai. He had a dagger in one hand and a sword in another. Fire wouldn't come out of Kai unless he dropped one.

Elsa swung the sword in her right hand from the right inwards towards Deren who was on her right. She swung the sword on her left hand from the left inward towards Kai who was on her left. She wasn't sure what she was trying to do when swinging. In no way did she want either of them to die, but she just couldn't do nothing the entire fight. Praying in her mind, she wished that the worst she would do if she ever struck truly was to only maim. As long as her opponents had breath left in their bodies, she would fight on.

Both Deren and Kai managed to block Elsa's attack. Deren did so by holding his sword vertically while Kai did so by creating an X with his sword and dagger. When Elsa and Deren's blades clashed, her sword flew out of her left hand since her grip on it wasn't as strong as she had initially thought it was. In combat, every detail, big or small, was important. Things such as grip and footing could be the difference between survival and death. If Deren wasn't aiming to kill Elsa, she would've been nothing but a limp pile of meat in a matter of seconds.

Elsa, who had just been parried, staggered and took a step backward. Using this opportunity while she had her guard down, Deren lunged his foot at her gut, kicking her backwards onto the ground.

Unfortunately for Deren, he had foolishly ignored Kai's presence at his side. Kai swiped his foot at the back of Deren's kneel forcing the lightning user to fall down on one knee. As quick as lightning, Kai unsheathed the dagger in his left hand and tossed the handle of his sword from his right hand to his left. By flicking his wrist, Kai was able to engulf his hand in green fire like he had done so many times before. Kai then sent his flaming fist flying into Deren's chest. Upon impact, the fire must have shot off of his hand as he punched Deren because Deren flew backwards and crashed into a bookshelf.

"Well he didn't put up much of a fight." Kai said to himself, spinning his sword. He then set his eyes on Elsa. She was his real goal, with Deren being nothing more than a mere roadblock doing whatever he can to make sure Kai didn't get what he wants.

Lucky for Elsa that she didn't face anything as severe as Deren did. She had just got up off of the ground when Kai charged at her with the intent of knocking her out. In defense, she shot a blast of ice right at Kai not thinking about the damage she could do. Kai's reflexes and reaction time saved his life. He dropped and slid on the ground, aiming his hands behind him and shooting two streams of fire so he slid more hastily.

He wasted no time in getting. He spun and jumped up off of the ground in a grand fashion with fire and sparks helping him turn the direction he wanted to face which happened to be facing Elsa.

"Not so talkative now, are you?" Kai taunted as he lunged at Elsa with his sword in an attempt to pierce her rather than kill her. She swung her sword hand in the air, allowing her blade to deflect Kai's attack. Kai's grip was so well formed that he didn't even show any signs of dropping his weapon.

Elsa swiped her sword at Kai's leg, making sure she was as fast as she could strike. He placed his sword, as quick as he could, in between his leg and her icy weapon, parallel to his shin. Elsa's blade met Kai's blade, his leg safe from her attack. However, Elsa wasn't hoping on striking that leg. In focusing on protecting one leg, Kai left the other undefended. Elsa aimed her free hand at Kai's unguarded right foot and shin, and ice immediately began to grow over it and on the ground.

Kai was now immobile. Strikes would be easier to get into him. Elsa took a step back to ensure that her strikes wouldn't go too deep. At that point, she didn't worry about causing Kai pain or not. She jabbed her sword at Kai's shoulder, but he was lucky enough to move an inch away to the side, with the sword doing nothing but grazing him and his clothes. His eyes weren't focusing on Elsa, though. He was paying all his attention on his frozen leg. He tried to blast a fireball at it, but it only melted one small layer away on a tiny radius.

Elsa prepared to knock Kai out, but sudden pain erupted in her back. It was a pain she felt not so long ago. Lightning. It wasn't a long stream like it was last time, but rather a simple bolt. That told her one thing; Deren was still in the game. She could hear his swift and fast footsteps approaching her from behind. She could hear the metal of his sword scratch against the stone ground of the inside of the mountain. Before he could do any real damage to her, Elsa rolled to the side, and Deren found himself standing in front of Kai where Elsa used to be.

Kai wasn't Deren's priority at the moment. Deren jerked to the side to face Elsa who readied her blade in defense. Deren remembered that Mara needed Elsa alive. Mara needed everyone alive. So, Deren decided he wouldn't hurt Elsa... Much.

The lightning user swung his sword with one hand diagonally downward from its raised position, aiming for Elsa's shoulder. She didn't really need an arm for Mara, did she? Elsa raised her sword with both hands on the handle horizontally above her head, blocking Deren's attack. Elsa then kicked Deren back, hoping that he would fall and she would have the upper hand. But, all Deren did was slide back a mere two feet with both feet still firmly planted on the ground.

"He said he saw you die!" Elsa said to Deren. She then swung her sword at Deren's calf and he avoided being pierced by smacking Elsa's sword upward with his own.

With two hands, Deren grabbed his sword and pushed it against Elsa. The queen mimicked his move and clashed with him. The blades formed and X while they struggled to push the other down. Their faces were inches apart, eyes glaring at each other, both determined to win.

"In a world where magic is still around," Deren said as he clashed with Elsa, "only the very few lucky men can cheat what one would think is unstoppable." Deren was stronger than Elsa, so it didn't take long for him to push Elsa back, ending the clash with her staggered and troubling to keep her footing.

"I cheated Death." Deren proclaimed. "And as a result, I've become more powerful than I could ever conceive I could become!"

He shot a blast of blue lightning at Elsa to prove his point. She mistakenly raised her sword in between her and the stream of lightning. The icy sword shattered into small pieces of ice in her hands, allowing the lightning to hit her chest and send her flying back and hitting the ground.

Behind him, Deren could hear ice crack and shuffling. Kai must have just gotten free from the trap Elsa had previously pulled on him. Deren was in the process of turning around when he felt and heard Kai's presence lunging at him from behind. By the sound of the air being cut, Deren assumed that Kai had shot off from the ground in some fiery fashion. Without hesitation or doubt, Deren twisted around and held his sword with both hands horizontally above him. Kai's own blade met Derens', the swords forming a plus made of metal.

Kai, intent on making Deren get his guard down for a second or two so he could pull of a good strike and possibly end him for good, kicked at Deren's knee. His adversary knew all the tricks and weak points in battle, and he wasn't one to ignore his own protection while focusing on taking others down. Deren launched himself backward by two feet, Kai's foot missing the knee. When Deren slid back, their swords escaped their lock.

Kai followed Deren's move by swinging his sword at Deren, diagonally downward. Deren blocked Kai's strike and pushed Kai's sword away. Kai then attempted an over the opposite shoulder strike, bringing his arm across his chest so his hand and handle hovered over his left shoulder, opposite to the shoulder which Kai's sword was hosted. In vain, Kai swung at Deren again. Of course, Deren blocked the attack by holding his sword vertically in front of him. But, Kai put more power in his strike. Their swords violently kissed, and neither of them was willing to let go.

Deren could feel his blade being pushed back upon his chest the more Kai pushed his sword forward. He remembered that Kai's dark state enhanced him physically. If the two were at a similar physical prowess prior to Kai's takeover, Kai would be stronger than him currently.

Luckily for Deren, he saw Kai's right rib cage open. If he could manage a jab, Kai would be forced to let go of his little clash with Deren. But, in order to do that, he would have to risk one handing his sword. The only reason he lasted so long in the clash was because he had two hands on the grip. He prayed that he could get the strike swiftly and fast enough before Kai could do any further harm.

Deren quickly let his left hand go of his sword and prepared to jab Kai's right rib cage. Things would have gone to plan if Kai didn't realize what he was trying to do. Kai let go of one hand on his sword and blocked Deren's fist before he could strike his ribs. Kai then wrapped his fingers around Deren's hand and squeezed hard.

Desperate for a way out, Deren moved the guard of his sword towards Kai's sword guard. Deren's guard hooked the very bottom and beginning of Kai's blade, and he pushed it away. Kai's weapon went moving back, and Kai himself staggered backwards. Deren then saw his moment to strike. He swung his sword downward towards Kai's thigh, but Kai deflected it by swiping his sword like a U on from the ground to Deren's sword.

Deren was then parried himself. Kai then made the hilt of his sword go flying towards Deren's face, but Deren managed to use his free hand to grab onto Kai's forearm to stop the attack from going any further. Deren squeezed and willed electricity in his hand, shocking Kai's forearm. The clothes on the forearm started to steam while Kai gritted his teeth. He could see his forearm getting numb soon.

From nowhere, ice began to form over Kai's forearm and Deren's hand, and it crept all the way up to Deren's own forearm. Both men looked to Deren's right where Elsa approached the two, jumping off of the second level which was only a yard elevated. Kai and Deren smashed at their frozen arms with the hilt of their swords at the same time, shattering it instantly.

Elsa now had two ice swords like she did originally. She swung the sword on her left to a part which she was sure was not going to kill Deren - the shoulder - and she swung the sword on her right in a similar manner to that of Deren's on Kai, except she was aiming for the calf Kai left exposed. Both Kai and Deren managed to protect their body by blocking Elsa's attacks.

Deren twisted and spun his blade so that the sword in Elsa's left hand flew out of it.

"I thought for sure you were taken out." Deren told Elsa, kicking at her, but she managed to dodge it by lunging backwards.

"I'm stronger than I look." Elsa boasted. She lunged and jabbed her sword at Kai, aiming to pierce his side but not impale him. Kai managed to compliment the attack with a block. He swiped his sword at Elsa's, and it shattered when the steel met the ice.

"You must have had a good teacher." Kai complimented half heartedly. He then swung his sword at Deren's ribcage. Deren dodged by rolling to his right.

"You would know." Elsa told Kai as Deren jabbed down her sword at Elsa's calfs. She managed to quickly form another ice sword when Kai attacked Deren, so she had no trouble blocking by sweeping her sword downward so Deren's sword missed it's target. "You taught me!' Elsa exclaimed to Kai.

"Enough talk!" Deren ordered, although what his words were worth was small.

Deren was getting sick of the pattern of them swinging and dodging or blocking. If they kept that up, the battle would never end. Actually, it would end when two of the three had no more energy to lift a sword, and Deren didn't see that coming for a while. He decided that it would be up to him to end their little triangle. He separated his hands, keeping them two feet away from each other. He focused his energy into his palms while Elsa and Kai swung at each other and blocking, apparently ignoring Deren. Deren then clapped his hands together when he saw electricity dance in his palms. A blue shock-wave of electricity came from Deren's hands, hitting both Elsa and Kai and knocking them away. Their triangle was no longer together.

The shock-wave wasn't enough to keep both Kai and Elsa down for more than a few seconds. Kai jumped up off of the ground in a swift fashion while Elsa got up more slowly but carefully, rubbing the soon-to-be bruise on her cheekbone. He could also feel a cut on her lip. She saw it incredibly unfair that she was the only one out of the three to have sustained any visible physical energies. She reckoned that that was expected, though. Elsa was afraid she was in over her head when she started fighting, and so far, she wasn't entirely wrong.

The attack did however disarm both Kai and Elsa. Her sword was nothing but a line of shattered ice on the ground. Kai's weapon was more lucky as it lay on the ground without any negative effects on it. Kai darted his head back and forth, examining the condition of the fight. His sword was a fair few yards away from him, and Deren was still armed. He didn't care whether or not Elsa still had her weapon or not because she could create a new sword just as quickly as she had lost it.

Before Deren could do so much as to flick a wrist, Kai shot a blast of fire at the hand which Deren had his hand in his grip. Deren didn't expect Kai to strike a place which was not vital for his survival, so he didn't manage to protect his hand. The force and heat of the fire caused pain in Deren's hand, forcing him to let go of his grip, making the sword shatter on the ground. When he bent over to grab it, a ball of solid ice smashed and shattered against his chest. He did not expect it to hurt as much as it did since he winced, fell back on the ground, and gripped his chest.

Since both Kai and Elsa attacked Deren consecutively, Elsa expected Kai to make a temporary truce so they could take Deren down together. She was, unfortunately, wrong about her theory. A blast of fire came flying right by her, but she held her hand where she had thought the fireball would eventually hit. A shield of frosts, snowflakes, and icy energy made the fire diminish when the two forces kissed.

Elsa reckoned that Kai was just as much of a threat as Deren was. Both needed her alive, both were ruthless, and both defined the word "alive" as still breathing. If she was missing a few limbs and bruised so much her body was purple, it would be okay as long as she was still breathing.

Elsa blasted a spiky row of ice that protruded from the ground towards Kai. It could've easily punctured into his body, but she was hoping that he would dodge it. Sure enough, he rolled to the side, the spikes barely missing his clothes. She then blasted another row of ice towards Kai, who rolled to his right, making him in between both rows. Perfect, Elsa thought. Elsa raised her hand up and a wall of ice grew right behind Kai. It was so close to him he could feel the cold on his back. Elsa then finished her little trap by raising another wall right in front of him.

Kai now had one wall around his size made of ice in front of him, another similar wall behind him, and icy spikes just as tall to his left and right. He looked up to see there was still an opening, but ice instantly closed it up before he could get any ideas.

She was content knowing that it would take a little while before Kai could melt his way out of that situation. Ice did not thaw as quick as people think it does. Elsa then turned to Deren who had just gotten over his chest attack. He posed his hand toward Elsa, but before he could shoot, she shot without hesitation. Her blast of misty ice hit him in the forearm which then flew down towards the small staircase. His right arm fell against a step of the staircase, and ice began to form over his forearm and stair.

He wasn't completely helpless at least. Deren's left arm was completely free, and he wasn't willing to let Elsa incapacitate his only good arm as well. He swiped his free hand with his hand straight, and a line of horizontal lightning flew towards Elsa.

Elsa ducked as quick as she could, but the lightning line came towards her faster than she had anticipated it to. Her hair, which was straight and unbraided, jumped off of rest position when Elsa quickly ducked down. The electricity passed over her head, singing some hair which did not fall down over her shoulder.

Only then did Elsa realize what Deren was doing. He was charging a powerful attack with his free hand as it was glowing with white and blue lightning. He jabbed his hand at her direction, and a large stream of lightning came out of his hands and right towards her. The first thing Elsa thought of for defense was to raise a wall of ice between her and the stream. The wall was only about a foot in front of her, and it wasn't enough to keep the attack from doing any harm. The stream hit the small wall of ice which was about Elsa's size and it broke it instantly. Although the stream stopped, the frozen debris hit Elsa, pushing her back onto the ground with her armor cracked.

By then, Kai had melted his way out of Elsa's icy trap. He looked over at Elsa to find her dizzy and having trouble keeping conscious. He then looked over at Deren he had just smashed the ice off of his arm, freeing it. Kai shot a volley of fireballs towards Deren who dodged them by rolling to his right. Mid roll, Deren shot a zap of lightning at Kai, hitting him in the rib.

The volleys of fire stopped. Kai grabbed his side in pain as Deren ran towards Kai. Lightning charged in Deren's hand. Obviously he was attempting to do a lightning punch. Luckily for Kai, he knew exactly how to counter. He sidestepped one foot just as Deren tried to uppercut Kai with his lightning fist. With Deren's guard down, Kai kicked the back of his knee, forcing Deren onto one knee. Leaving his back exposed, Kai punched the back of Deren's neck hard. It wasn't hard enough to break it, but to leave a decent bruise and to have his neck uncomfortable for a while.

Deren then fell flat on the ground. Kai rolled his body over and pulled out his dagger. His one rule obviously didn't apply to the dark Kai. He didn't care. He had no idea why Mara needed Deren, and he could care less. Deren was a pain on Kai's side, and he was a pain best removed. Before Kai could stab Deren, however, Elsa got up from the ground.

Elsa saw what Kai was going to do. "No!" Elsa exclaimed. She shot a blast of ice at Kai's arm, missing it. That was enough to make him ignore Deren though. He darted his head towards Elsa, surprised that she was still standing.

"Why won't you just give up?!" Kai angrily asked. He ran towards her, sheathing his dagger. He was intent on knocking her out for good. But, when he was a few fee away from where she was standing, Elsa slid using her ice to another position. Kai then ran into where Elsa used to be standing.

Elsa's icy slide platform turned into snowflakes, as did the rest of the icy obstacles she had created during the battle. They all found themselves in a spaced out triangle like they were in when the battle started. Deren was cracking his neck and knuckles as he got up. Elsa was to his right while Kai was to his left. Elsa had Kai on her right and Deren to her left. Kai had Elsa to his left, and Deren to is right.

The three all stared down each other, giving a look of determination. Each of them had gotten to a silent agreement. They would stand there and fight. The last one standing would be the obvious winner.

Everyone let out a battle cry as they let streams of their certain power out of their hands. Elsa made a large icy stream in both hands, flying towards both Kai and Deren. Deren did the same, except with a lightning stream. Deren's stream of blue lightning hit Elsa's stream, making the two clash at the center. Kai's stream of green fire hit both Deren's and Elsa's stream. If one were to look from above, they could see a triangle have formed.

For about an entire minute, neither one's streams had wavered. They all tried their hardest to keep their arms up and to not waste energy. Kai gritted his teeth, not willing to let the lightning and ice get to him.

"I _will _get what I want." Kai announced. "None of you can stop me."

"I'm not trying to." Elsa argued.

"You both will fail!" Deren said.

Then, Elsa could feel her streams of ice weakening. From her left, Deren's lightning began to push back Elsa's ice, and the same went for Kai. When the two opposite streams met a certain point, Elsa knew she couldn't hold on anymore. She couldn't let the lightning or fire to rip through her ice streams as that would mean they would reach her hands, and who knew what would happen then?

Elsa let go of her streams, and both Kai's and Deren's streams hit her. Elsa screamed in pain as she flew back, hitting the ground hard. Her armor was ruined. Her right arm was completely bare of armor, exposing her skin. Her left arm had no armor for the forearms. Her chest armor was completely cracked and chipped with black stains on it. The knee on her left leg armor was completely gone, with the right thigh armor cracked and chipped. As a matter of fact, almost all of her armor was cracked and chipped. Some more than others. Elsa herself had dirt covering her face with a small cut on her forehead and cheek.

The condition she was in was not good, and neither Kai nor Deren could see her conscious. Elsa was taken out for sure.

Now, only Kai and Deren remained. They looked stood around ten yards away from each other, eyes filled with determination for victory.

"This is it." Kai said to Deren. His right hand and forearm set ablaze, fire dancing all around it. The clothes on his forearm began to singe away. Usually, Kai's clothes were made to resist fire to an extent. His fire was way too powerful.

"No turning back." Deren agreed. He flicked his hand and lightning and electricity engulfed it and his forearm. Kai could feel the tingle of electricity from all the way he stood.

Both men let out a battle cry and charged at each other, fists extended. As they ran, they left a trail of fire and electricity that floated in the air for about two seconds. When they were just about to run int each other, Kai pulled back his fist and slammed the fiery fury against Deren's chest, with Deren doing the same thing.

Both impacts were so powerful, they let off a wave of energy and dust off of them. Elsa had one eye half open to witness it, only to close it right after and slip into unconsciousness.

Soon enough, the dust cleared out. Both Kai and Deren lay on their back with closed eyes. Kai had slow, shallow breaths as if he was having trouble keeping alive. He was alive, definitely alive, but his clothes were tattered and in ruins. Deren started off with similar breaths, but they accelerated as seconds went on. The chest area of his clothes was darkened and singed and so was some of the hair on his head. But, he was alive.

Both Elsa and Kai were knocked out cold. Deren, however, was not. Deren opened his eyes knowing that he was the victor. He reached into his pocket to pull out the black pearl Mara had given him. The portal to her.

As Deren got up, he thought about how he finally defeated Kai.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please write a review/comment to let me know what you thought of the chapter.

I'm certain that there will be at least 50 chapters to this story, and I'm sure that it will make it the longest Frozen story on the entire site. I may be wrong about that, but I'm certain it will be one of the longest if not the longest. Also, remember to check out my profile page on updates for the next chapter progress

I miss writing action chapters. I know that these kind of chapters are kind of scarce in this story because it was mostly adventure and other ordeals. But, now we have an epic 3 way action chapter which I hope you guys liked.

**QOTD: What's your favorite fight in my series so far?**

If you thought many of my fights are epic, just wait and see the climax of the story which includes... I'm not spoiling it... *cough* *cough* Armies! *cough* *cough*

Ciao.


	33. A Sky of Shadows - Part I

**A Sky of Shadows - Part I**

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Elsa had no idea how long she had been out. She assumed it must've been hours since her legs felt completely limp. But, something wasn't right about the position she was in. Her hands were completely covered in metal shackled connected to a wall, and so were her ankles. She then realized that she was chained against a stone wall. The stone was, however, the type of stone seen in mountains and not the type found in castles. For a moment, she mistook the area she was in for Arthar's home. Yet, it was completely different.

She found herself on top of an elevated platform which was more like a long balcony that was shaped like a U around the inside of the mountain. Below her was another level which served as the base level for the structure they were in. Both levels were connected by a large and long set of stairs that started at the middle of the U. The only sources of light was the light that seeped inside from the ceiling that shined over a table like pedestal at the middle edge of the structure. That and torches spread around lit by green fire. Elsa had no idea whether or not that was Kai's work or someone else's.

Speaking of Kai, she looked to her left to see Kai chained in a similar manner except he was still unconscious. By the way his clothes looked, he had lost the battle. That had meant that Deren was the winner. Seeing as how she was still aware with senses, Deren didn't kill her or Kai. Just like she had suspected.

"Kai." Elsa whispered, looking right at him. She found that her voice was weak, matching the condition of her body at the moment. The fight had taken a bigger toll on her than she would have thought it would have.

Elsa had no idea whether or not Kai was his old self or not. She wasn't aware of what happened at the end of the fight. But, the fact that he was chained up just like she was gave her a slight of hope. They wouldn't have kept him chained if he couldn't be controlled, and if he was against them, then they wouldn't control him. However, the fact that Kai and Deren were against each other during their last encounter could be the reason as to why he was chained up at the moment.

"Hello?" Elsa called out, her voice echoing throughout the room.

"She's awake." Said a man's voice from below the balcony. But it wasn't just any man's voice. It was Deren's, no doubt about that. But, the question was who he was talking to? Deren didn't seem like the type to talk to and announce things to himself.

"I still don't understand why you didn't do it when they were unconscious." Deren continued. "Your job would have been much easier. Zero resistance. And I would finally have my revenge."

"I wanted them to see all the hope in the world fade away along with the blue sky." Said a female voice. Strange, Elsa thought. The voice sounded so familiar. Incredibly familiar. It wasn't a voice she had heard in a long time, and the last time she heard it, she wasn't fond of whom it belonged to. It was impossible, though. She was locked up in a place far far away.

Elsa could hear footsteps starting at the bottom of the staircase. She was at a position that didn't allow her to see who was walking up, but she was certain that whoever it was would show themselves soon enough. Elsa turned her head in the direction of the steps, patiently waiting to see who it was that was walking up.

Only when she got to the top of the stairs and turned to her left to the left side of the balcony did Elsa finally make out who it was. Her eyes widened when she saw her face. Lilith, Elsa thought. Although it was Lilith's face, everything else was completely different. She wore black robes that dragged behind her, compared to Lilith's old fashion for black leather. Her hair was now straightened and completely black, compared to her old blood red hair. Her eyes looked a different shade of green; yellow green compared to her old forest green.

The way she carried herself was odd as well. She walked with more grace, yet she left of an intimidating demeanor. Also, she held a large black staff in her hand with two hooklike shapes at the tip of it, leaving a space in between the hooks. The strangest part of it was that the space was occupied by a green wisp that looked like fire, but it wasn't fire.

"Lilith?" Elsa asked.

"Why," Mara said, "this must be the second or third time someone has mistaken me for that girl. My, this Lilith must have been quite a popular girl." Mara could remember Lilith's encounters with everyone. When she took Lilith's body, she took her memories as well.

"You're saying that you're someone else..." Elsa stated, completely dumbfounded by the logic in all of it. She then remembered that there would not be much logic in a world with magic like the one she lived it. "That's..."

"Impossible?" Mara suggested.

Elsa wasn't going to say impossible. She knew that so many things deemed impossible were truly and very possible as she had seen. But, she had never seen anything like this.

"Who are you?" Elsa asked.

"I am many things." Mara announced. "Some may call me evil. Witch. I have... I _had _official titles such as the Harbinger of Darkness, the Dark One, yada yada. You can call me Mara if you can be so kind. Lilith's body is my host, and one that I intend to use."

Mara, Elsa thought. She remembered the name. Both Kai and Deren mentioned her earlier, prior to her apparent kidnapping. Everything Mara had said and all the clues everyone else had given her led Elsa to believe one thing; Mara was the dark user, and she would bring the end of the world.

Elsa knew she couldn't let that happen. All Mara needed was a single drop of blood from Elsa, Kai, Deren, and herself to work her magic and create an eternal shadow. The world was a dark place during the first eternal shadow thousands of years ago, both metaphorically and literally. Elsa tried to shake herself free, but to no avail. Mara watched amused as Elsa did her best to get herself out of the chains. Unfortunately for Elsa, she was locked tight and well.

"You don't know what you're doing." Elsa told Mara.

"On the contrary." Mara argued. "I know exactly what I'm doing, and exactly what I plan to do. My question is, your majesty," Mara said "your majesty" in a mocking tone, "do _you_ know what I'm doing?"

"Eternal darkness." Elsa answered. "I heard the story from a friend. One whom your dog hurt and possibly killed."

"You're smarter than I would've thought." Mara complimented.

"What do you think you're getting out of this?" Elsa asked. "Nothing will be accomplished for you. Life will die. Civilizations and humanity can't survive. Everything will end. And for what? You'll be the sole survivor in a lonely world."

"That's where you're wrong." Mara said, letting out three tchs. "I'll have my Spawns to keep me company. But, I'm afraid you won't live to see these cute creatures whom I consider my children. My own flesh and blood."

"You didn't answer my question." Elsa said. "What do you think you're getting out of this? Nothing will be accomplished for you. Life will die. Civilizations and humanity can't survive. Everything will end. And for what? You'll be the sole survivor in a lonely world."

Elsa wouldn't be surprised if it was revenge. A majority of everyone she and her family fought and opposed were after revenge. King Lyre wanted revenge on the citizens who did not look at him like the king he was. Deren wanted revenge on Kai who scarred half of his face, and in result, a majority of his life was a living hell. Cade and Lilith both wanted revenge on the nobles and all of those who led better lives since they had everything and gave the people with little, Cade and Lilith included, nothing. And Hans? Hans didn't seek revenge the first time he encountered Anna and Elsa, but the second time he attempted to do such an act had revenge as a motivation. Revenge is exactly what drove many people to do the things they did. Though they would've called it something different, Elsa knew exactly what it was.

"Oh, you could say that." Mara told Elsa. "But, it truly goes deeper than that. Yes, the world back then when I had another body was cruel to me and those who I used to call brothers and sister. We were never accepted into society and were driven away from it all because we could do things they couldn't. So, I guess that's where the sky of shadows comes into play. But, as I said, it goes deeper than that."

Mara believed herself to be - and although countless others would disagree - an idealist, and a creationist. "The world as it is, is chaotic." Mara continued. "There is no balance, and there very well may never be a balance. Undoubtedly, those who contain any sort of evil in their hearts including greed, revenge, lust, jealousy, and all other sins... Those people definitely, positively outnumber those with less realistic virtues such as bravery and generosity. Although you may not see such things in Arendelle, the rest of the world is not pretty, no matter how much you wish it to be. This unbalance creates chaos, and in chaos, more people will suffer."

Mara turned around and walked to the railing, leaning over the side. She was ready to reveal her "genius" as she believed it was. Elsa, who was chained in her hands and feet, wanted so badly to just kick Mara right off of the edge. But, she reckoned that that would do her more harm than good. At least she wouldn't be able to do so and see the results.

"That's where I come in." Mara said, turning back to Elsa. "Unbalance creates chaos. If there's one thing I hate, it's eternal chaos. That and the human race in general, but that's not the point. In chaos, nothing would get accomplished, not that I matter. So, I came up with a new solution by myself. End. The. Chaos."

Elsa was thinking about how crazy Mara was when she spoke, yet she refrained from speaking up just yet. She wanted to see the mentality behind Mara's ideas. "How will I do that? Thank you for asking." Mara continued. "To end chaos, I must eradicate those who create it. And that's humanity itself. My eternal darkness will ensure that life cannot be sustained for anyone, and so, humanity will die out, and my precious Spawns will inhabit the earth in its place. There will be no unbalance. No chaos. There will only be one dominant... That's darkness and evil."

"You speak of hating humanity..." Kai's voice said. Elsa turned to her left to find Kai with eyes open, although he looked like he was struggling to do so. His eyes were still green, and that was not a good sign at all. "And have you ever looked into the mirror?"

"I'm not human." Mara argued. "I'm a god. I will be the Shepard of a new world. A new age of darkness. There is not a thing that can stop me."

"That's a lie." Elsa confidently said. "You and I both know it."

"Is that so?" Mara asked, intrigued as to what Elsa knew. "Then, please, enlighten me on the reason why you accuse me of deceit."

"Ludicium." Elsa said. Elsa could see Mara's face getting paler than it already was. "The sword of light." Elsa elaborated. "It was your bane and downfall thousands of years ago, right? If it worked one time, then why not a second?"

Mara said nothing for a second or two, keeping her worried gaze on Elsa. Soon, the worried look faded away, leaving a smile on her face. Elsa, in fact, was getting a bit more worried herself as to what caused Mara's sudden look of assurance and confidence.

"You're not wrong about that." Mara said. "If you're so certain about this sword being your last hope, then please, tell me that you have it?"

Elsa didn't reply. She knew exactly why Mara got such a smug look. The biggest flaw in looking for he sword for help was that she had no idea where it was located. The biggest clue as to its location was back at Mount Caelum, and Elsa didn't know whether or not that was close or far.

"No?" Mara continued. "Well, do you know where it is?"

No answer.

"So," Mara said, "you're putting all of your faith into a sword lost thousands of years ago, and you don't seem to have any idea on where it is or how it works. Much less have any sort of claim on it. Oh, how your confidence amuses me."

"Enough of that." Kai said to Mara, officially ending the exchange between the girls. "You promised me my memory. You gave your word. I intend for you to keep it."

"I recall the deal being the girl for the memories." Mara said. "And, as it so happens, you weren't the one to bring the girl in. In fact, you were brought in with the girl yourself. It would seem that Deren deserves all the credit."

Kai shook his chains. The metal that covered his hands started to glow in a way that made Mara incredibly uneasy.

"Don't cheat me!" Kai barked. "You'll regret it. Help me with my memories, or I swear, you will not see the end of this day."

"Oh, what a mouth on you, boy." Mara said.

"Trust me, I know." Elsa murmured to herself.

"You are without honor." Kai insulted. "You promised me what I have lost, and so I bent my knee. Yet, even when my reward is most appropriate, I'm denied of it!"

Mara sighed and reached into her cloak to grab something. It was as if she had just given up the argument, sick and tired of dealing with Kai. She then pulled out a glass orb. But, something in the glass was strange. Different images appeared in it, all involving Kai in them. That was no regular glass orb. It was his memories. Solid memories.

"Are these what you're after?" Mara asked, holding the orb in front of his face.

Kai leaned forward, but the chains held him back. He nodded viciously while observing the scenes for himself. They for sure included him, yet he had no recollection on remembering them vividly.

"Yes." Kai answered. "Give them to me."

"Have you learned nothing?" Mara asked. "I'm in control here." Mara then tossed the orb over the side of the railing as if it were nothing.

"No!" Both Kai and Elsa said at the same time.

Everything Kai had worked for was gone. Just like that. Elsa had lost all hope in getting the Kai she once knew back. There was no way for him to regain his memories now. To Kai, they never happened anymore. The worst part was that Elsa knew what happened, and she didn't want to constantly talk to a man who denies her words.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Mara sarcastically apologized. "Butterfingers."

The metal around Kai's hands began to brighten some more. It looked ready to just melt off of his hands, and the hot liquid metal would seep onto the floor. Kai would be free, and Mara would be right in his line of sight. Elsa, for once, wished for the beast to be free. She hoped that he could do to Mara what she currently could not.

"I'll serve your heart to wolves." Kai threatened, although he was eerily calm when he said it. "You will regret double crossing me."

But, as quick as lightning itself, Mara pulled out a tiny, thin, black knife from her cloak and swiped it against Kai's exposed wrist, seeing as how his clothes couldn't cover them in his current position. The metal began to cool as Kai winced and grunted in pain. Elsa, knowing Kai, assumed that he would at least let out a scream. The darkness made him tougher than she thought. That was both a good and bad thing.

There was a large gash on Kai's wrists where the veins were, and blood seeped out of it like a leaking bucket. Mara observed the knife by putting it in front of her eyes and turning the blade. Blood was found at the side edge of the blade, the side where Mara used to cut Kai.

"That'll do." Mara told herself.

She then stuck the metal of the blade through the clear area on top of her staff, through the green wisps. Immediately, the green turned red and became larger, emanating more power from it. When Mara took the knife away, the blood was cleaned from it magically, yet the blade was still intact. She then took a left step, standing in front of Elsa.

"Hold on a minute." Elsa requested. "Look at what you're doing. It'll do way more harm than good. You're going to annihilate an entire species and live a lonely life not including these "Spawns" you adore. Is that right? Just because of a grudge and the assumption humanity is too chaotic?"

Mara stared at Elsa for a moment. "Pretty much, yeah." Mara confirmed. Without hesitation, Mara brought the tip of the blade up to Elsa's face and cut it against her cheek very quickly. The tip of the knife had her blood covering it with one drop dripping onto the floor.

Elsa could feel pain in her left cheek. She could feel the blood dripping down out of her cut. At least she didn't have it as bad as Kai did. He was losing a good amount of blood, and if he didn't get his wound treated in time, he would lose too much blood and die. Mara didn't cut from Elsa's vein, and for that, Elsa was grateful. Still, Kai didn't show any signs of feeling any sort of pain. The end of his sleeve was soaked in blood, yet he didn't show any weakness. It seemed as though he didn't care if he died or not.

Mara did the same with Elsa's blood as she did with Kai's. She stuck it into the red wisp at the top of her staff, turning it a light blue instead of staying red. It grew in size, and Elsa could almost feel the energy kissing her. She couldn't imagine how things would be if all four of their blood went inside of it.

"Two down," Mara smiled, "two to go."

"I beg of you." Elsa said. "No one did anything wrong."

"It's not what they did." Mara said. "It's what they're doing. Deren, it's your turn."

From under the railing, Deren shot up from the lower level in an electric fashion. When the lightning under his feet disappeared, he started to descend quickly, but not before he grabbed the railing with one hand. He then pulled himself up, climbing over the railing and landed his feet right next to Mara's. He looked just like he did when Elsa last saw him except that there was a huge scorch mark in the chest of his clothes. He had Kai's sword and dagger strapped to the right side of his waist and his own sword on the left side.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Deren." Elsa warned. "You can't allow yourself to just give in. You're better than that, I know you are."

"It's nice to know at least one person thinks that way." Deren told her, his voice sounded sympathetic almost. "But you're wrong."

Mara offered him her knife to which Deren grabbed hastily. He held the edge knife against his bare hand, not yet ready to swipe and bleed."

"You're really willing to give in to her demands?" Kai questioned. He didn't mean to talk Deren out of it, but rather to ridicule him on his decision in doing so. Kai never took Deren as a henchman, but his actions proved otherwise. "I was right when I called you a dog."

Deren didn't retaliate to Kai's comments in a violent way. Instead, he gently turned towards Kai's direction with no emotion showing. Then, he spoke up. "I was promised the pleasure of killing you myself." Deren revealed. "I intend to keep my pledge."

"Stop!" Elsa pleaded. She could see that he had made a tiny cut with the tip of the knife against his hand. It seemed that he was content with giving in and forfeiting the world just because of some playground grudge. "Deren, if you do this, there will be nothing for you out there."

"There already is nothing for me out there." Deren sadly replied. "I only life to make even with the one that caused it."

He then cut his hand with Mara's small knife, wincing while he did it. It wasn't the worst pain he had felt, but it definitely wasn't the easiest. He gave Mara then knife and she took it happily, glad that Deren was still on her side.

Mara had to admit to herself that she was surprised. She didn't expect for Deren to bend his knee to her for so long. She half expected him to betray her later on to look out for his own interests. Originally, Mara planned on killing him right after the eternal darkness started. But, his loyalty seemed unwavering. There may be use of him yet.

She took then knife and stuck it into the wisp. It then grew a bright yellow color, and once again it grew in size. The orb of energy was around the size of a child's fist.

"Only one more missing piece to the puzzle." Mara gladly stated. Only one more person's blood was needed, and that person was holding the staff. The staff and the energy was the key to Armageddon.

"I never thought that it would end like this." Elsa said to herself, almost crying. She had failed. She had failed the world, Kai, her family, her kingdom... She had failed herself most of all. Elsa thought that she could get out on top, standing over the bad guys and those who would mean to harm her and her family. It seemed she overestimated good. She was wrong.

"It won't end for me until I know the truth." Kai told Elsa. Elsa looked up to see the metal over his hands brighten again. Luckily for both of them, Mara was too busy walking down the stairs towards the pedestal at the end of the room, and Deren was too busy watching with front row tickets to the end of the world.

Mara found herself standing right next to the pedestal. She then stuck the bottom of her staff through a hole in the middle of the pedestal as if it were made for it. High above the staff was a hole in the ceiling where early sunlight seeped through.

"Lights out." Mara said, smiling at herself. She then took her knife and pricked her finger. She held the knife there for a few seconds, making sure the tip of the blade picked up some blood. One drop was all that was required to start the darkness. She then took the knife away, seeing the very tip of the blade smeared with unnaturally dark blood.

"Now, here we are." Mara announced, looking up at Kai, Elsa, and Deren who were all standing on the balcony at the side.

"At the final phase of life." Mara continued. "Where darkness begins! Oblivion!"

Mara finally stuck the tip of her knife into the orb of energy, and a huge blast of green and purple dark energy from the staff shot through the hole in the stone ceiling and into the sky.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please comment/review to let me know what you think.

I think that this needs to be at least three parts, and at most four. There are going to be a lot of events and excitement in Mara's hideout alone, so you guys won't want to miss out on any of it. But, this made me cut the chapter short so I hope you guys won't mind. The next chapter will definitely include the spreading of the eternal shadow and Kai's identity crisis. Will it finally be resolved? Tune in to find out.

Also, an official Frozen sequel was announced not too long ago. So, I'm sure you guys are looking forward to that. I was hoping to watch Frozen Fever, but I have no plans to go and buy tickets to watch Cinderella for it.

**QOTD: Best Frozen fanfiction crossover? As in, which two OCs from different Frozen fanfiction would you want to meet up, go on an adventure, fight, or have a love triangle with? In no way will the crossover actually happen. I just was curious since I'm running out of these questions. Also, don't expect me to go and research all of these characters. Just tell me the essential things to know about them and why they should meet up/fight another. Yes, you can choose Kai, but you don't have to.**

Ciao


	34. A Sky of Shadows - Part II

Author's Note: Read the author's note at the bottom of the chapter to see an unofficial review of Frozen Fever.

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**A Sky of Shadows - Part II**

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"Anna!" Kristoff called out from atop the balcony connected to Elsa's study. He walked out there in the first place because he could see something fishy coming from the outside. Now that he was there, he couldn't get his eyes off of the sky.

From the forest of Arendelle, a giant beam of green and purple shot from the ground and into the sky. Instantly, and as quick as the flick of a wrist, a mixture of green, purple, and pitch black energy - or darkness - spread across the sky from where the beam and kissed the atmosphere. In only a few seconds, the darkness had covered Arendelle and it was already on its way across the sea.

Anna walked out with Lena in her arms, looking up at what was happening. The sun was completely blocked from their view by the darkness. Lena, who loved the sunlight, instantly began to cry as the sky darkened in front of her. By then, all of Arendelle was covered in the darkness. People from their houses walked outside to see what the commotion was about. They had horrid looks on their faces when they looked at the my.

Rhys, who had set up personal arrow targets in the courtyard in the castle, put his bow down and looked at the sky. He had nothing to say. His face was less shocked than everyone else's. He knew that this was inevitable because of who he was told Elsa was going against.

"Oh no." Anna said. Then, she realized what the darkness meant. Elsa had lost, and seeing as how the dark harbinger had what she wanted, that would make Elsa expendable. People who were expendable were best dead. Anna stopped herself from thinking more about it, however. She couldn't believe that Elsa, or even Kai, was dead.

"When Arthar said eternal darkness," Kristoff started, "I thought he had meant all black. But, it's purple, green, and black up there."

"Stories are often exaggerated." Rhys told Kristoff from the courtyard. It was miraculous how Rhys could hear Kristoff, seeing as how Kristoff was standing quite a few feet above him.

Then, the next phase of the eternal darkness began. The temperature dropped steeply by maybe fifteen degrees. It was the middle of fall, but it suddenly felt like winter. The breeze and wind was more violent. It was incredibly odd that there was still wind without a sun. This dark magic seemed to have some loopholes that defied science itself, but that just proved that magic was more potent than science.

Kristoff could feel his cheeks cool incredibly quickly, and his ears seemed to freeze. The bangs of his hair was blowing over his forehead. It was not desirable weather, and he wasn't dressed for it.

"Anna," Kristoff said, looking back at her, "take Lena back inside."

By that point, the giant beam that shot into the sky disappeared, but unfortunately, even without it, the sky persevered to be dark. They all had a bad feeling that the sky didn't stop to be black just around Arendelle. Something told them that it wasn't a bluff that the whole world would be under the shadow.

They would've thought the shadow would be just like an endless night, but it was completely different. There would be no moon. There would be no stars. There would be no peace of the night. At least there were other colors in the sky besides just plain pitch black. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to see anything at all without a light source. And, although things were slightly darker as if under the shade of a tree, things were still visible and distinguishable.

Kristoff looked down at Rhys and found something funny. He couldn't see Rhys's shadow. Without the sun, how could Rhys cast one?

"I never thought I'd live to see the end of the world." Rhys said to Kristoff in a raised tone.

"This isn't the end of the world." Kristoff assured him. "Not yet, anyway."

Rhys then turned toward Kristoff and held out his hand as if presenting the sky. "Tell me." Rhys said. "What do you see?"

"I see a man who had lost faith in bringing the sun back." Kristoff said, not obliging to Rhys and focusing his attention on the archer.

"I have not lost all faith." Rhys argued. "But, please tell me, do you have a plan on how to stop this? Do you have a special item which can give us back cloudy blue skies?"

Kristoff didn't answer and remain silent. Rhys definitely had a point. Leave it to Rhys to be the skeptic. There must've been a way, though. It happened once, and it was stopped once. Who's to say that won't happen again?

"What do you suggest we do?" Kristoff asked the skeptic.

"The only thing we _can _do." Rhys answered. "We wait."

"For what?" Kristoff inquired.

"For one of two things." Rhys elaborated. "We're waiting for a miracle, or, we're waiting to starve to death. The amount of food the world has can only go so far for so long."

Mara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The air was now under the sky she worked so desperately to create. The sky that she hoped would lead to the complete desolation of all living things in the current world. It smelled the same, but it smelled better than it did before. Darkness was in the air, and where there was darkness, she had power. Strong power.

When Mara opened her eyes, her irises seemed to glow a brighter green than the green it was before. She grabbed her staff from the ground and pulled it up. The staff istelf had a purple aura around it. It gave a feeling of power. Unspeakable power.

"Ah," Mara said, sighing happily, "the light is out. The dark is on. The dark... It feels so good." Just being under the sky of darkness gave Mara an incredibly satisfied feeling. She loved the dark with all of her black heart. She wanted to feel the kiss of the shadows on her cheek. Nothing would please her more.

"No..." Elsa said, still trapped. "You've doomed us all!"

"Correct." Mara said. "That was my plan. Lay waste to the humans, and a new superior race ruled under me shall take they're place. You can't stop it. The darkness is connected to my life force, and I'm immortal."

Elsa ignored Mara, knowing that there was no way to change the mind of the demented woman who caused it all. She did know, however, that no one was immortal. No matter how strong they may be, they're not immortal. Someone always falls at the end, both good and bad. She wanted to stop the dark, but how? Ludicium was their only hope, and she had no idea where it was.

She needed help. There were three people around her she could choose from. Mara, who, for obvious reasons, wouldn't help. Deren was just another pawn in a bigger game who only lived to fulfill his thirst for revenge. That left Kai. Kai had no allegiance to anyone anymore. If she could somehow talk him down, or at least attempt to like she had numerous times previously, she might be able to get him to help.

"Kai," Elsa said, "I-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Kai had heated his metal confinements so that they became soft enough for him to easily break and snap apart. Now that his arms were free, he reached down to his ankles and broke the chains around them with incredible force. All of that happened in almost a second. Too little time for Deren to realize what Kai just did.

Kai lunged at Deren and tackled him, sending the two falling off the railing and into the ground below. While in midair, Kai threw himself away from Deren pushing Deren forward. Kai landed on both feet while Deren hand to land and roll just to stand up again and face Kai.

There, Kai saw the error in his plan. Deren had weapons. He did not.

Elsa, now alone on the upper level, froze her metal hand confinements. She then yanked her hands apart, breaking the icy metal. She had planned on doing so earlier, but seeing as how her efforts of escape would be futile due to the presence of both Mara and Deren, she decided to bide her time and wait for the opportune moment. Unfortunately, that moment was too late. Mara already got what she wanted.

Elsa froze the chains around her ankles and broke them off. She then ran over to the railing, looking down at the ground.

She found Kai and Deren standing three yards away from each other, giving each other a stare down. Then, there was Mara who was walking slowly towards the duo, an evil smirk on her mouth.

Mara raised her staff and aimed it at Kai, ready to shoot some horrid thing of dark magic at him. Before she could do so, Deren intervened.

Deren held out his hand to his alleged partner and yelled, "No!"

Mara gave Deren a confused look, not lowering her staff just yet.

"You promised me that after you got what you wanted," Deren reminded, "that I would get to kill Kai. It's time for you to hold your end of the bargain."

"She's not very good at that." Kai warned Deren.

Mara lowered her staff and held it like a walking stick. "Fair enough." Mara said. "Deal with him, Deren. If not, I'll deal with him for you." Mara then looked up to where she last left Elsa. She was shocked to see that Elsa was standing with her hands on the railing. "How'd you get out?" Mara vainly asked. She then aimed her staff at Elsa and shot a blast of darkness at her. Elsa dodged it by rolling to the side. The darkness hit against the wall, and it evaporated into a purple mist. Then, it was completely gone.

"Oh, I just love playing cat and mouse." Mara said to herself. She then walked past Deren, determined to silence Elsa once and for all. Unfortunately for Elsa, she had no help. She was alone like so many times before this.

"You plan to end me," Kai started, "and you won't even give me or yourself the satisfaction of me dying with honor."

"Of course not." Deren told Kai. He then unsheathed Kai's sword and tossed it over to him. Kai caught it with one hand without even having to look at it.

"To be fair," Kai said, "you're not my problem. My business is with Mara, so get out of my way or go to hell."

"Ah, Kai." Deren said. "The thing is that I _am _your problem. You just don't remember." He then reached into his coat and pulled out something Kai thought destroyed. He pulled out an orb which displayed images of Kai's life in it. "Looking for this?" Deren asked, teasing Kai.

Kai thought it was destroyed. Mara threw it over the edge. Then, he realized that he never heard it smash on the ground at all. Deren must have caught it before it reached the ground. He kept it... But why?

"I'm going to kill you." Deren reminded Kai. "But I want you to know why. I want you to have your life flash before your eyes as I drive my sword thought your chest."

He then tossed the orb at Kai who caught it with his free left hand. Instantly, the orb began to glow and Kai's arm began to shake. Deren watched silently at the whole spectacle. After a second, a light seeped out of the orb and crawled its way up Kai's arm and into his head. That's when Kai's eyes went back into his head and he froze.

* * *

Kai's conscious had what seemed like an earthquake. The dark Kai, which had normal Kai under his knee with his sword in his chest, fell back as the plane around them shook and rumbled. The all black plane soon began to erupt white patches and spots everywhere with no pattern whatsoever. The sight made the dark Kai begin to cringe and wheeze.

"No!" Said Dark Kai. "This is my head! You cannot take it back."

Kai got back up, putting his hand over the wound in his chest. But, the funny part was that he felt no pain. When he removed his hand, he found that the wound had completely healed. There was no blood. There was no indication at all that he was stabbed. There wasn't even blood in his hand. It was as if that never happened, and Kai wasn't complaining.

"What's happening?" Kai asked his counterpart.

"Your memories are returning." He explained. "The memories bring light, and where there is light, there cannot be darkness."

"Good to know." Kai said.

He then quickly aimed his hand at Dark Kai and shot a stream of fire at him. The fire was its normal color. The mixture of orange, red, and yellow people usually associate fire with. It wasn't some demented green color. His fire was normal, and he planned to burn his counterpart with it.

Dark Kai, however, did not plan to just stand there and take all that Kai would give him. He clashed Kai's stream with his own stream of green fire. The clash met in the middle, neither side was yielding. They were even, and until the plane around them changes some more, they would continue to be even.

Kai could feel something materialize around his waist. He quickly glanced down to find that his sword had returned to him when it was previously not on him.

"Get out of my mind!" Kai ordered the dark. "Get out of my body!"

"This is my body now!" His counterpart argued. "You're merely an obstacle in claiming it for myself forever!"

"Not if I have anything to do about it." Kai muttered.

Then, something popped open and materialized out of nothing right behind the dark Kai. The counterpart turned his head behind him to see what it was. He saw that it was some sort of portal, but a portal to where, he didn't know. On the other side seemed to be a peaceful night town without anything spectacular going on in it. He wondered what would happen if he took a step back into the portal.

Dark Kai was distracted by the portal that opened behind him. He gave Kai an opportunity to turn the fight around so that he had the upper hand. Kai focused more energy in his stream of fire, pushing the dark, green fire back towards the dark counterpart. By the time Dark Kai turned back to face his enemy, it was already too late to save his skin. Kai's fire ripped through his dark stream, and the fire engulfed the dark one.

Dark Kai screamed in pain as his entire body was engulfed by the fire. More light patches appeared in the dark plane quickly and more frequently. The plane was about fifty-fifty in terms of light and darkness.

Kai then stopped his stream to save himself from seeing his counterpart suffer anymore. Usually, Kai was fireproof and flames wouldn't hurt him, but his dark side was so different. Now, Dark Kai didn't at all look like Kai. He didn't even look human. His skin was smoothed out and slick and pitch black. He had no face nor any special human features. He looked more live a living silhouette.

"What are you?" Kai asked the dark being.

"I am your shadow!" The shadow exclaimed at Kai.

Kai then sprinted at the shadow, his sword in hand. The shadow didn't have a sword in his hand just yet, but he extended his hand as if a sword would materialize in it. But, before a sword could actually form, Kai tackled the shadow and the two fell through the portal.

The portal opened up in midair, about five feet from the ground. Kai and the shadow crashed down onto the ground with Kai on top. But, Kai rolled off right after impact and found himself laying on his back with his sword a few inches away from his right hand.

He looked around and found himself and the shadow in a very familiar place. It was a small circular plaza with one large house in the center surrounded by smaller houses that surrounded the circle which connected to a small street which couldn't fit a carriage. Kai recognized the larger house as Deren's home, and when he looked down a few houses to the right of Deren's house, he could find his own.

"What the..." Kai muttered to himself. He then spotted two kids sitting on top of the roof of Deren's house. One was an inch or two taller with brown hair and blue eyes, and the other had black hair and reddish orange eyes. Neither one of them could have been any older than eight. It was Kai and Deren as children.

Then, Kai realized what he and the shadow had just done. "We jumped into a memory." Kai said to himself. "They're coming back."

Neither of the children above seemed to notice Kai or the shadow at all. It was as if they were invisible. Kai didn't mind though. It made fighting so much easier without the spectators.

Kai didn't realize that the shadow had gotten up off of the ground and had a sword with black metal in his hand. The shadow swung his sword downward on Kai who was still flat on the ground. Kai rolled to the side and away from the sword, but not before grabbing his quickly. He then jumped up and spun his sword, taunting the shadow.

"You're not real, are you?" Kai asked, swinging his sword at the shadow.

The shadow then blocked the attack and pushed Kai's sword away so they would not clash. "I have no real physical form." The shadow agreed. "But, I can take you and I'll keep using your body like before."

He took a large step forward and kicked Kai's knee, forcing Kai to fall onto it. But, before the shadow could land a strike to the neck, Kai ducked his head and rolled past the shadow. Without looking, Kai took his sword, while still on his, and swung the blade behind him. He could hear a howl of pain. Kai darted his head back to find that he had gashed the calves of the shadow, making purple energy spray out of it.

Kai got up and lunged backwards as the shadow swung his sword horizontally at Kai. Kai then noticed that another convenient portal opened up behind the shadow. He stepped forward and kicked the shadow in the stomach area, pushing him into the new portal which looked like it led to a ship.

After the shadow fell through and disappeared, Kai lunged in after him. He then found himself standing on the horizontal part of the mainmast of a ship, under him was the top of a sail. Kai struggled to keep his footing as the platform under him was almost a foot thick. Across from him by about three yards, on the other side of the wooden beam, was the shadow who struggled to keep his footing just as much as Kai was.

The moon was out and shining brightly upon the ship. Below him, Olaf seemingly was playing the violin, and another Kai and Elsa were dancing on the deck of the ship.

"Oh, yeah." Kai remembered. "I remember this."

He then refocused himself on the shadow who carefully made his way to Kai, step by step. Even though this wasn't happening in reality, neither of them wanted to risk a fall as that may lead to disastrous consequences.

"Lovely lady you have down there." The shadow said. "Too bad your good times will end."

Kai shot a blast of fire at the shadow. The shadows outer skin burned like paper. Who's to say his current form won't?

But, the shadow leaned back, careful to keep his balance, and Kai's flames missed him. He then continued to make his way closer with Kai shooting more fireballs. But, Kai always either missed or the shadow dodged it. The two soon found themselves without sword fighting range.

The shadow swung at Kai's front abdomen, but Kai managed to black it, although he almost lost his footing and balance in the process. Kai swiped his sword down at the feet of the shadow, but the shadow jumped, dodging the blade as it swung below him, and landed back on the beam flawlessly, not even showing any signs of unbalance.

Kai jabbed his sword at the shadow, but he simply stepped back to dodge it. Quickly, while Kai's blade was in front of him, the shadow hit the blade to the side with a lot of strength. Kai lost his balance and fell off of the beam, falling down towards the wooden deck.

But, just as he was falling, another portal opened up right under him, and Kai fell through it. The shadow jumped off of the beam and followed Kai through the portal.

The portal then opened on the rooftop of the castle of Teranhall Keep. It opened from the ground, and Kai shot upward from the ground and the portal. The momentum he built when falling from the mast made him fly out of the new portal and almost twenty five feet into the sky.

When Kai was in midair, he turned himself upright hand held his hands out beside him. Fire came from his hands, allowing him to glide down swiftly. But, it just so happens that the shadow had also came out of the portal on the ground and flew to a height similar to Kai's. When he began his fall, he reached his arm out and grabbed Kai's shoulder. The amount of weight made Kai's gliding trick fail, and the two fell onto the ground with a thud.

Around them, snow fell from the sky. Twenty feet away to the side, Kai and Deren were fighting each other with daggers. Both had whitening hair, a symptom of a frozen hearts. They could thank Elsa for that. Yet again, they completely ignored the presence of the other Kai and the shadow.

Kai shot up off of the ground in his usually fiery fashion so he could intimidate his foe. The shadow, who seemed to have no special powers of his own, stood up from the ground in a less spectacular fashion compared to Kai's.

The shadow approached Kai and began to strike at him. For every strike, Kai defended himself with a block. Diagonal strike, block. Horizontal strike, block. Vertical strike, block and push away. The shadow put more power for each attack he made. Kai was forced to step back every time he was struck at. Soon, Kai's back was facing the edge of the castle. His heel went over the edge.

The shadow knew that he had Kai in his mercy. If he jabbed, Kai would be forced to fall down below. The shadow did just that. But, when he jabbed, Kai slipped off the edge on purpose, but his hands caught the edge. He then found his legs and body dangling off the side of the castle with only his own hands supporting him and keeping him up.

The shadow approached Kai in hopes of stomping on Kai's fingers to make him lose his grip. But, when the shadow was close enough, Kai grabbed his ankle and pulled him down the edge. The shadow lost his balance and, indeed, fall off like Kai intended. But, as he fell, he grabbed Kai's ankle, and the weight made Kai let go of the edge.

As the two plummeted towards the ground below them, they fought hand to hand. Kai had sheathed his blade in midair, and the shadow's sword dissolved into darkness. Kai wrapped his legs around the waist of the shadow and began to repeatedly punch its face, or at least where his face would be if he actually had one. The shadow let out a grunt every time Kai's fists hit, even though he had no mouth to make sounds with.

Before the two could reach the ground, another portal opened beneath them, and they fell through.

They then landed inside the upper chamber of Elsa's ice palace. Outside was the balcony which overlooked the North Mountain. The portal opened like a door, and Kai and the shadow ejected from it like they had just tackled a door. Both were separated from each other and slid away.

Kai unsheathed his sword, but as he did it, a giant foot made of snow hit the ground right next to him. He looked upward to see Marshmallow facing another Kai. The other Kai looked like he had seen better days. This must've been the end of the whole Cade ordeal Kai went through. Surely enough, Cade stood at the corner of the room. Once again, no one paid any attention to Kai and the shadow.

Kai got up and ran towards the shadow, careful not to slip on the ice. He raised his sword and swung downward, but the shadow rolled out of the way. The shadow then swung his legs at Kai's feet as he got back up, knocking Kai on the ground, back first.

The shadow formed another sword in his hand and launched himself in the air, going down towards Kai. While the shadow was in midair, Kai blasted fire at him, hitting the shadow back. The shadow then crashed into the wall. Kai got up and raised his swords in a charge and jab position. He then ran as fast as he could towards the shadow, as he ran, Marshmallow swung his arm at the other Kai, and the arm flew right towards Kai. Kai slid on the ground mid sprint to dodge the swipe. He then got back up and continued running.

Before he could stab the shadow, the shadow stepped to the side, and Kai ran straight into a portal which formed instantly before he could crash into the wall. He didn't stop running until he took five steps out of the portal. He slowed his pace and turned back to face the portal.

Kai noticed that he was in a plane similar to the one he was in prior to the memory jumping. The plane seemed to be split into two equal parts - the light and dark. There was a straight line in the middle where light and dark met. Kai stood at the edge of the light side where everything was white. The portal was in the dark side where everything was black.

Out of the portal came the shadow who almost seemed to blend in with his surrounding. The portal closed behind him as he made his entrance.

"Quite a life you have lived." The shadow said. "Such a shame for it to end with my birth."

"What's happening?" Kai asked. "What's happening out there in reality?"

"Deren returned to you your memories." The shadow explained. "In doing so, he upset the dark that your mind currently had. The light started to come back, and the light and dark are conflicting. You and I represent the aspects. I, who Mara put in your mind, fight for the dark to control. You, who originally had control, fight to take it back. You've put up a good fight, but I'm afraid, I'll have to finish this. Any more questions?"

"Yeah." Kai said. "How fast does darkness burn?"

The shadow was originally confused as to what Kai meant, but when he finally understood, it was too late.

Kai shot a powerful stream of fire using both of his hands at the shadow. He was forced to drop his sword to do so. The shadow didn't have time to dodge. It hit him directly, and he let out an agonizing scream and painful pose as the fire engulfed his body. The fire burned the outer shell that looked like Kai's body quickly. Now, he burned even more so.

As he burned, he began to shrink as the layers of his dark body disintegrated. The dark part of the plane was pushed back by the light. The light engulfed all that was part of the dark, and it swept across the entire plane. Soon, the entire plane was once again white. Full of light.

When Kai stopped his stream of fire, he found that the shadow had disappeared entirely.

"Darkness burns like paper." Kai told himself.

He then heard a portal open up behind him. Kai turned around to see what was through it. The portal showed things from a first person point of view. The person viewing was Kai. The body of Kai. He was staring at Deren who seemed to be paused in time as he unsheathed his blade incredibly slowly.

"There's the real world." Kai announced. "It's time for a homecoming."

He then sprinted towards the portal and jumped through.

* * *

Kai's body stopped shaking rapidly and fell limp on the ground. The orb in his hand rolled out of it, but it was completely clear. There were no more images displayed in it anymore. It was nothing more than a glass sphere.

To Deren, Kai had just grabbed the orb a few seconds ago. After he tossed the orb, Kai began to shake, and then he fell limp. Nothing spectacular happened during that. There were no fights. There was no arguing between Kai and himself. It was as if everything in his mind never happened.

Both Elsa and Mara looked over at the limp body of Kai to see if anything would happen. Mara looked down in amusement while Elsa looked down in terror. But, she also had hope. Assuming his was still alive, he would have his memories back. That's exactly what Elsa wanted most for him.

After a few seconds of silence and anticipation, Kai let out a desperate breath for air. He turned on his back, his eyes still closed. Elsa was relieved to know what he was still alive, and Deren as well because he wanted the honor of killing Kai himself. Mara was indifferent towards him,

When Kai finally opened his eyes, his irises were their natural reddish orange color. Elsa smiled at him, wanting to jump in the air out of enjoyment, but she decided against getting all giddy around hostiles.

Mara let out a "Hmph" and returned to walking up the stairs. Elsa noticed this, and she prepared herself for what was about to come.

"Okay." Kai said to himself while getting up. He picked up his sword from the ground and spun it as a taunt. Kai then cracked his knuckles while his sword was still in his right hand. He finished his recovery by cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders.

Kai was back. The darkness was out of his body.

"Now," Kai said, "which son of a bitch wants a beat down first?"

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a review/comment to let me know what you think.

I can feel the happiness and excitement of all of my readers right now. Yes, that's right, Kai is back, and he intends to stay. Finally, after being evil for a majority of he story, he finally came to his senses and reclaimed his body. Hip hip, hooray! There is still about ten to fifteen more chapters left in the story, so please, stay tuned to see the epic ending and feel the feels.

There is probably two more parts to the "A Sky of Shadows" chapters, and they will contain action and twists. I know what you guys are thinking. Another Kai and Deren fight. I understand that I have a lot of those in my stories, and they're never truly resolved. But, I promise you that this next encounter will have a satisfying conclusion to it.

I had just recently watched Frozen Fever. I didn't go watch it in theaters, however. I was able to stream it online before it was taken down, so lucky me. Now, I just need to get "Making Today a Perfect Day" out of my head. So, since I feel like I need to do this, I'm going to do another review below. This time, it's on Frozen Fever. I won't spoil much, just some things that may be obvious.

**Unofficial Review of Frozen Fever**

As many of you already know, it's a short 7 minute sequel to Frozen taking place on Anna's 19th birthday. Elsa plans on making it the best day ever for Anna, but the problem is that she has a cold which doesn't make their day any better.

The film, although an apparent sequel, feels more like fan service than anything else. It revisits the characters which you all know and love. It does, however, stay true to the characters as none of them change dramatically at all, except for Elsa that is, but she changes for the better. Anna is shown to be more caring and concerned in this short, developing from her jumpy and optimistic personality from the original film.

The song, "Making Today a Perfect Day," is good, yet it does not even come close to Let It Go. Most of the short is the song, and the song itself tells the story of the film and in a way narrates what's going on. That was fairly smart as the other songs don't really narrate a story. Many songs definitely tells stories, but this song narrates one. Elsa (Idina Menzel) sings the majority of the song, and in the story, her illness progressively gets worse. The great part about it is that you can hear Elsa get sicker, and not just see.

Unfortunately, the song does have some forced rhymes that seem out of place and irrelevant. They were in there just for the sake of rhyming.

As a teenager, I found the short film enjoyable, although it wasn't meant for my demographic, obviously. There were jokes in there which I didn't laugh at, but then I had to remind myself that it was meant for people younger than me. Then again, there were jokes I did laugh and/or chuckled at which better proves the point that Frozen is a family movie, and not a kids movie. There is a difference between family and kids movies.

The short has cameos of many of the characters in Frozen (Hans included) and none of them felt out of place and are played mostly for laughs.

I've talked about the positives, but now let's talk about the negatives, and there were little. The largest negative was that the song had no large impact to the Frozen franchise that much other than tell a cute story. It's really hard to nitpick or criticize a short film which is mainly fan service.

Another negative is that the characters are underused. I get that the short is supposed to focus mainly on the sisters, but Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf were incredibly underused. They had almost no significance to the story. They were just there. This was a shocker since Olaf did not provide much comic relief.

Overview:

Pros:

\- Great animation

\- Catchy and good song

\- Good fan service

\- Revisiting beloved characters

\- Elsa and cold dynamic

\- Funny when it is

\- Cameos are enjoyable

Cons

\- Doesn't have much of an impact to the Frozen universe

\- Weird song lyrics sometimes

\- Underused characters

The Final Verdict of Frozen Fever

7.5/10

I would give it an 8/10 if I didn't give Frozen the actual movie an 8/10

Thanks for reading my review!

Ciao


	35. A Sky of Shadows - Part III

**A Sky of Shadows - Part III**

* * *

"Ah, so much more satisfying." Deren said, spreading his arms. "Lucky for me that I'm no longer obliged to let you live."

Kai said nothing. He just spun his sword in silence and gave a dirty stare at Deren. It was meant to and was supposed to be a sign of intimidation for Deren, although that any attempts to intimidate Deren would have been in vain. Deren has seen and done many horrid things. A dirty look wouldn't be enough to make him wet his pants like so many other cowards Kai had faced before.

He remembered everything. All of his old memories were back, and to add to that, he could even remember everything that happened when he was possessed by the dark. The scenes played again and again in his head. They were scenes Kai had thought best forgotten. The things he had done made him think he was a monster. Under most circumstances, that would've been a negative thing. But, it would take a monster to bring down Deren.

Kai turned his head around him to see his placement and the placement of others. He and Deren were standing in the flat lower area of the dungeon like room. Mara was busy walking up the wide and long set of stairs. Above him, Elsa stood on the balcony that wrapped around in a U, leaning against the railing. Mara seemed to pay no attention to him. Elsa, on the other hand, paid close attention.

"Hey, princess!" Kai said, looking up. Elsa now knew for a fact that Kai was back. He would never call her princess otherwise. "You have to get out of here." Kai continued. "They have no reason to keep either me or you alive, so it's incredibly dangerous."

"I won't go without you." Elsa argued. Mara, although she was moving slowly, got closer every second. She was about three-fourths done walking up the stairs.

"You and I both know we're in over our heads." Kai said, still looking at Deren.

"Don't you call those Monday's?" Elsa joked.

Kai let out a chuckle, glad that he heard a good joke before his possible death. "Well, I hope you know what you're doing."

"Me too." Elsa muttered. If she wanted to speak the truth, she would've said "I have no idea", but she couldn't risk discouraging Kai for anything. He couldn't be bothered with paying any attention on anyone besides Deren at that moment. Elsa turned to see Mara finish walking up the steps and taking a left to walk on the side of the platform Elsa was in.

Kai got in a battle stance with his sword, leaving his left hand open. A ball of flames appeared in it and it danced across his palm and backhand. Deren himself got in a pose which was more defensive, leaving one hand free. Lightning surged all around his hand and forearm.

"What?" Deren asked. "No more monologues? No more trying to talk me down? No more appealing to my good side?"

"There are some people who are beyond saving." Kai explained. "And then there are some people who aren't worth saving. Both apply to you. Take your pick."

Deren gritted his teeth in anger. He did, although, realize that Kai was right about that. He was beyond good at that point. He had killed people and helped a mad woman cause the end of the world. There was no going back for him. This was the end, and he might as well have stuck to the side he started with as that would have the most rewards for him.

"I'm done talking." Kai said to Deren.

Then, Kai did something Deren did not suspect. He made the first move. Usually, whoever made the first move intended to hurt their opponent badly or even kill them. Kai usually never made the first move as he played defensively at first. But, Kai charged at Deren with his sword swinging behind him. He couldn't be out for blood, which was the strange thing? It would break his moral code. He wouldn't do that... Would he?

Kai then uppercutted his sword at Deren when he was about five feet away. The attack wasn't near enough to puncture anything in Deren's body, and it, at best, would just leave a gash. Deren managed to protect himself from Kai's attack by holding his blade out in front of him horizontally.

Deren aimed his hand at Kai and let out a short stream of lightning. Kai raised his forearm in front of him, and the lighting stream hit it. Kai slid back with his heels on the ground and his left forearm taking the majority of the damage. Kai winced in pain as he was pushed back a few feet.

When Deren was finally finished, Kai's forearm was tattered and smoking. His bare skin could be seen from it.

Kai looked down at Deren's waist to see his own dagger strapped to it. If it were up to Kai, he would have both his dagger and sword in his hand for dual wielding. Sure, he would give up his usage of powers, but he could have more opportunities to deal hits and damage. Maiming was what was important. But, Kai only had his sword which Elsa had given to him. That was fine. He could work with that.

"My turn." Kai said. He held out his free arm and shot a powerful stream of fire at Deren. Deren barely had time to react. He managed to hold his hand out in front of him so he could shoot his own stream of electricity. The fire came too quickly, though. Kai's fire hit Deren's hand, and as a result, Deren howled in pain. The clothes on his forearm burned off, leaving it completely bare.

Kai threw his sword up above him, leaving both hands free. With his newly freed right hand, Kai shot a large blast of fire that flew right at Deren's chest. Deren, who was too preoccupied assessing the damage done to him on his hand, wasn't able to dodge the attack. It hit him right in the chest and pushed him all the way back against the stone wall. Deren, now feeling a large amount of pain in his back, fell down onto the ground and onto his side.

Kai then grabbed the handle of his sword as it fell down towards the ground, spinning it in the process.

Kai felt his left hand numbing and wearing. He looked at it to find that the cut Mara made on his wrist was still open and bleeding rapidly. The blood was able to cover the bottom half of his palm. The pain didn't bother Kai as much as cuts used to. He had to prioritize everything, and dealing with pain wasn't up there. Though, he had some free seconds to heal himself since Deren was busy getting up.

Kai heated the bottom part of his sword until it began to glow yellow. He then pressed the hot metal against his wound. The sound of flesh burning could faintly be heard, and Kai let out a quick wince as he cauterized his wound. Fire never bothered him until he used to heal.

"You used to be better than that." Kai said to Deren.

Deren scrambled up off of the ground and grabbed his sword. He then, without hesitation, ran straight at Kai with his sword posed next to his rib cage. He tried to attack like a rhino would in a charge.

Kai readied himself to answer Deren's strike. When Deren came close enough, Kai side stepped and swung his sword horizontally at Deren. The lightning user ran past Kai, feeling a pain on his bicep. Deren slowed his movement to a complete stop and looked at his upper right arm. He saw a large gash in it and blood did no hesitate to run out of it.

Deren had no idea what was up with him. His body felt fine. His mind had a goal. How come he couldn't be as good as an opponent to Kai he usually always was.

Kai, however, knew Deren's problem. Now that he could kill Kai, he would want to do it as fast as he could with as much honor as he could. With both speed and rage, one would lose skill and defense. He was losing his calm, and that's exactly what Kai was keeping. With calm came a steady mind, and with that came a smart and possibly easy win.

"What's the matter, old friend?" Kai taunted. "I'm right here. Just hit me."

Deren turned around to face Kai, and he shot a powerful stream of electricity at him. The electricity engulfed all of his free left arm. It sped at Kai as quick as lightning would strike a tree, but Kai knew how predictable Deren was at that point. He held out his own hand quickly and met Deren's stream with a stream of his own. The power of the fire was just as strong if not stronger than Deren's power.

"Why!" Deren exclaimed. "Won't! You! Die!"

"Because I still have a reason to live." Kai explained. "And what do you have?"

Deren got angry at that point. He used his sword hand to throw his sword like a javelin at Kai. But, Deren wasn't used to aiming and throwing objects under stress and clashes. His sword flew past Kai's arm by about two feet away. Kai, on the other hand, knew exactly what to do, thanking Deren for giving an example.

Kai threw his own sword at Deren, and Kai was a much better shot. His sword flew past Deren's face, missing him by about an inch. Deren was startled by the fact that he almost died, and let go of his stream. He could sense that Kai's stream did the same. And, as if in slow motion, Deren's eyes followed the blade as it flew past him, his head turning more than ninety degrees to the right.

He watched as Kai's sword lodged itself in a convenient crack on the wall.

"You missed." Deren told Kai, still looking at the sword.

"Did I?" Kai said, his voice close.

Deren turned back to face Kai only to see Kai's fist slam against his nose. Deren fell back on the ground, back first, covering his nose in pain. Kai swooped down his arm to grab his dagger from Deren's waist.

"I believe this is mine." Kai quickly said after grabbing it.

He then ran over to the sword on the wall and gripped the handle, doing his best to pull it out while Deren got over the pain he was in.

"I'm supposed to have all the good cards!" Deren complained, taking his hand off of his broken nose. It was already bruised and bleeding. "She promised me the cards!"

"Your cards have run out." Kai told Deren.

Kai seemed to have the upper hand in his fight, Elsa was facing a much larger threat. Mara was walking in a graceful yet intimidating manner across the balcony, towards Elsa.

Elsa was facing the one who technically controlled the world. Her ice powers wouldn't be much of a match against someone who could be considered a god. But, Elsa allowed herself to believe that gods and giants can fall just as a man could. Hopefully, that would apply to her current predicament.

Elsa shot a spiky row of ice at the slowly approaching Mara. But, as it darted toward her, Mara swung her staff in front of her. A purple whip made of dark energy smashed the icy spikes before they could touch Mara. The whip then instantly disappeared into nothing as if it were never there in the first place. Elsa got a bit more scared than she was originally. She had never seen someone treat her icy powers like they were nothing. To Mara, they almost were nothing.

The queen shot a blast of ice right at Mara's heart while she walked casually as if she were approaching a friend. Mara, however, made no attempt to dodge or even block Elsa's icy blast. She continued her course as if Elsa had no powers whatsoever. That confidence of Mara's is exactly why Elsa knew that she couldn't take her down alone. Unfortunately, Kai was too preoccupied settling a score to help Elsa with the Harbinger of Darkness herself.

The ice went through Mara's chest where the heart should be. Elsa's face showed almost horror when she realized that Mara did not even blink, much less flinch when that happened. She just continued walking as if she had never been hit at all.

"You may be a queen," Mara said, "but you fight like a soldier. You do what you think will work, not observing any other variables in the process. Do you think me as a normal being with a beating heart?"

Of course not, Elsa thought. It's never that easy.

"The only heart I have is black." Mara continued. "Black and pure."

"It's _anything_ but pure." Elsa countered.

"Did I ever say good?" Mara asked. "You're tricks won't work on me in this form. Especially not when I own the skies. Nothing can hurt me, so submit and die!"

"Don't you mean submit _or_ die." Elsa asked.

"I know what I said!" Mara said.

She shot a blast of darkness from the tip of her staff at Elsa. Elsa then raised a small wall of ice her size in front of her like she had done many times. It was for her own protection. It worked against so many other things, so why shouldn't it work against darkness. Besides, the blast Mara sent was rather small compared to the average size of Kai's fire blasts. Elsa was positive that her shield would do its job well.

But, she also forgot the fact that her shield was easily broken by many things. Darkness seemed to be one of those things. When Mara's blast hit the shield, it dismissed against it, but the shield cracked and blew up against Elsa. The force of the blast threw Elsa back and she rolled until her back was leaning against the railing at the edge of the platform.

Elsa looked down the bars of the railing to find Kai and Deren fighting it out. She caught a few seconds of Kai's moves. Dodge. Strike. Block. Sidestep. Strike. Block. Clash. Push. Fire. Dodge. Occasionally, he was hit by Deren's fist but Elsa couldn't see if it bothered Kai or not. The fact that Kai was still moving quickly showed Elsa that he still had it going for him.

Her fight wasn't with Kai, though, and she almost forgot about that. Mara was continuing with her paced walk, not caring about what Elsa could and would do in defense. Elsa seemed cornered as there was Mara was only fifteen feet away from her. If Mara actually got there... Elsa didn't want to think about the horrible things Mara could, would, and can do.

Then, Elsa remembered something. Mara was using Lilith's body, and Elsa remembered exactly how she defeated Lilith.

She raised both her hands towards Mara and shot streams of ice. Mara, thinking that Elsa's attempts were both futile and cute, didn't react. When the ice hit her, her body began to freeze over. Layer upon layer of ice was covering her body from head to toe. Soon, Mara and her staff were inside a giant ice cube like Elsa had done with Lilith.

Elsa let out a large grin, proud of herself. The lady of darkness was defeated by a girl with an ice cube. She couldn't wait for that one to be written down in the stories.

"Kai!" Elsa called. "I did it!"

Kai blocked an upward attack from Deren by holding his sword horizontally above him. He then kicked Deren's gut, pushing him back. Lucky for Kai and Deren, they were at a spot which allowed them to see the platform above where Elsa and Mara were standing. Kai turned his head quickly to look at Elsa and see her accomplishment. He looked at her grinning face, and their eyes locked on. He then turned toward the ice cube and his pride for Elsa faded.

"No you didn't." Kai told her. He then continued with his fight with Deren.

Elsa's smile faded along with her smug. She looked back at the ice cube to see it disintegrate into a black ash-like substance. Then, the ash disappeared into nothing. Mara didn't even look like she was cold.

"Oh," Elsa said, in a manner that seemed like groaning, "you motherfu-"

A blast of darkness shot out of Mara's staff and right at Elsa. She moved to her left by about a foot to dodge the attack. The railing next to Elsa was hit by the darkness and broke apart as if the darkness that hit them was much stronger.

"How much longer will you go on?" Mara asked, annoyed. "I've got what I wanted. I've won. There is nothing you can do or have that can stop me. Nothing practical, anyway."

Elsa got on her feet, and Mara let her. She wanted to see Elsa have one last breath of defiance before she silenced her forever.

"You underestimate me." Elsa taunted.

"On the contrary," Mara argued, "I have judged you quite fairly. I have done the same for myself as well. The odds are not in your favor. Not in anyone's but mine. Besides, killing you now would be a mercy. Do you really want to live long enough to see the life seep out of your beloved sister? Her husband? Your niece? In the end, they all will die, no matter how hard you try to change that. Hell, I'll even kill them myself."

"You." Elsa said, opening the palm of her right hand. A small snowy storm grew in it, ready to take down Mara. "Will. Not. Touch. My! Family!"

Elsa prepared to shoot her small storm, but Mara aimed her staff right at Elsa with lightning fast speed. She shot a large blast or purple energy at Elsa, hitting her right in the chest. More pieces of her armor began to fall of.

The force of the blast threw Elsa off of the platform and tens of feet away until her back smashed against the stone wall near the pedestal.

Kai heard the crash on the wall and turned to look at Elsa right after he parried Deren and kicked him away by a few feet. His eyes filled with both horror and rage when he saw her up in the air, against the wall with her eyes clothes, her armor broken, and her spirits shattered. Pieces of her armor fell to the ground until her right arm was completely bare and her chest piece exposed part of her midriff.

"Elsa!" Kai yelled.

She didn't respond though. Her body then slid off of the crater she made on the wall and fell onto the ground with a crash, shattering her armor completely. But, a dress made of ice similar to the one she wore many years ago in her ice palace took place of the armor. At least she has something to wear.

Kai had no idea whether Elsa was alive or not. Any normal person would've broken their necks going through what she just went through. Kai had to check. He had to be sure that she was alright. If she wasn't... He would be out for blood.

Kai looked up to see Mara, emotionless and expressionless. He realized that she was the one to hurt Elsa. She was the one Kai wanted to pain. There and then, out of rage, Kai spoke out something that went against his own morals. He hoped Elsa couldn't hear it, assuming she was alive.

"I'll kill you Mara!" Kai yelled. "I swear to god that I'll end you!"

"I'll be waiting, then." Mara smirked. She then grabbed her long cape behind her and swung it in front of her. She then began to spin, and Kai counted three spins. There was a whip of darkness, and with that, Mara disappeared.

Gone. She was right there, and she was gone. Normally, Mara couldn't do such escape methods. But, under an eternal darkness, her powers were almost unlimited. Where she went, Kai had no idea. Neither did Deren. But, Kai had a feeling that he was going to see her again real soon. He hoped for that time to come, because the next time she shows her face anywhere near Arendelle, he hoped to be there.

"Hey!" Deren called out. "You're fights with me!"

Kai turned around to find Deren jab his sword towards him. If he didn't have fast reflexes, he wouldn't have been able to dodge Deren's attack in time. Luckily for Kai, he did have fast reflexes. He stepped to the side, but the sword managed to graze his right forearm.

Now, Kai was getting sloppy. Deren was failing the fight prior because of his rage and one minded goal. Kai suffered from the same mentality now that Elsa had been hurt.

Kai shot a close up blast of fire at Deren's torso, but the lightning user managed to roll to the side and avoid the attack. He then returned fire by shooting his own blast of lightning which hit Kai's right thigh. The pain in the attack hurt Kai more than it used to bother him. Kai had no idea himself for what the reason for that was. Deren lunged at him while Kai shook off the pain.

Deren swung his sword towards Kai's belly, under the ribs. Kai protected himself by hitting Deren's sword as it flew down towards his stomach. Parried, Deren left himself open to an attack as his sword almost flown out of his hand. It would've been easy for Kai to make the kill. One stab or slash, and that would be it. All of his struggles with Deren would be over and dealt with. One death to save many.

Yet, Kai saw no reason to do it. Deren did not provoke him, much at least, to kill him. Deren was Kai's friend for a good few years as children. Although they were past the point of becoming friends again in their adult lives, Kai didn't see a reason for the two to continue being enemies. He realized that he had to end this conflict without someone dying.

Kai engulfed his free hand in flames and punched at Deren's chest. But, Kai didn't expect for Deren to recover so quickly. Using his free hand, Deren surged it with electricity and grabbed Kai's fire hand. Kai's knuckles pushed against Deren's palm.

"We don't have to do this anymore!" Kai explained to Deren.

"You and I both know that we're both too deep in to stop now." Deren said. Funny. Kai sensed a rather sad tone in his voice. "This is and has to end one way, and you know what I speak of."

Deren pushed Kai's fire hand back. The lightning seemed to negate the effects of the fire as his hand was perfectly fine. Deren then slashed his sword at Kai's shoulder, but Kai uppercutted his own blade to deflect the attack. But, that was a mistake. He sacrificed speed, footing, and defense of his body to just block an attack.

A lightning hand flew right towards Kai's stomach and slammed hard against it. Kai leaned forward in pain. When he cough, a splatter of blood flew out of his mouth and covered the clothes of Deren's stomach. He then fell onto his knees in pain, clutching his pained midriff.

"What's wrong, Kai?" Deren mocked. "You used to be better than that!"

Deren raised his sword and readied it to swing down on Kai's neck. Unfortunately for Deren, Kai wasn't ready to give up that easily. Elsa might've lost her fight, but no way in the world was Kai willing to lose his. If he lost to Deren, he would lose everything. His life most of all.

Kai unsheathed his dagger and quickly stuck it in Deren's foot. Kai's enemy screamed in pain, jerking his head backward. Using it as a distraction, Kai rolled out of the way by a few feet and stood up, still willing to stand his ground against the man who had tried to torment him for so long.

In his pain, Deren dropped his sword sloppily. Using the opportunity, Kai dropped his bloody dagger and lunged his fist at Deren's rib cage. That would be the first of many attacks to come.

Stomach punch. Deren leaned forward in pain. Cheek punch. Kai's left fist hit Deren's left cheek, making Deren turn to his right as a result. Now, Deren's back was facing Kai. Kai stepped forward and grabbed his foe by the shoulders. He then pulled Deren down and brought his knee up, kneeing Deren in the middle of his spine. Kai then let Deren fall onto the ground with his eyes facing the ceiling.

Kai walked around Deren's body until he found himself standing right next to Deren's rib. He managed one hard kick for good measure, to make sure Deren was down and wouldn't get up. Deren retched and coughed out blood which splashed onto his clothes and the ground next to him.

"Are we done here?" Kai asked.

Deren didn't answer him directly. Slowly, Deren sat up and got on his knees. Kai had no idea what this was supposed to mean. His foe wasn't one to just give up so easily, but it looked like Deren was doing just that. Conceding. He had just given up his victory over Kai because of a few thrown punches.

Slowly and without looking, Deren felt the ground next to him to see where his sword was. He eventually was able to grip the handle of his blade, and an intrigued Kai allowed him. Kai knew that Deren wasn't stupid enough to attack Kai given the current state he was in.

Deren held his sword downward, vertically, and leaned on it with both hands on the handle.

"Congratulations..." Deren half heartedly told Kai. He then coughed out more blood. He felt the pain in his inner body. He was sure a couple of things were broken or punctured. "You won... You beat me once and..." Deren wasn't able to say for all.

"I did." Kai agreed. "You'd be wise to not face me again."

"You'll make sure of that." Deren said. Kai raised an eyebrow, perplexed as to what that was supposed to mean. "All of these years wasted... Fighting. I never thought that I would see an end, but I kept telling myself that the end won't happen until I kill you. Only then can I rest in peace. I've killed so many people just to get to one. Even now, when I had the best chance, I still can't do it. You win. You'll always win."

"Yes." Kai then knelt down to Deren's height, pitying his old friend. "That's how this whole thing works. You fight me, I stop you. Sure, you may manage to score a win or two, but those weren't the wins you needed, were they?"

Deren shook his head. "You and I both know the only way for this to end is for one of us to be silenced... Forever."

"There are other ways-"

"You're lying and you know it." Deren said. "You never were good at keeping charades going for a while. Anyway, I'm smart enough to know when to back down... And I backed down. There is nothing for me out there. I helped the end of the world come all because of some vendetta I started years ago. I have no family. No home. No friends. Mara doesn't even care what happens to me at this point."

"We can take her down." Kai said. "Together. You can make your amends that way. You can right what you wronged."

Deren let out a chuckle. "Is that supposed to make me laugh? Doesn't matter since it's working. I don't want anything in life anymore, Kai. All I want is peace. Permanent peace."

Death, Kai thought.

"It never was your death I wanted." Deren continued. "Only now do I realize... I just wanted resolution. I thought your death would give me just that. I was wrong."

"I can't kill you." Kai said. "You know I can't."

"I won't kill myself." Deren said. "That's the cowards way out. You of all people should know that I'm anything but a coward. Please, Kai. You need to end this yourself. I want this, and you know you want it too."

"There are other ways we can work this out." Kai repeated.

"Delusional as always." Deren said. He then took a deep breath and sighed. "I'll give you a reason to do it." Deren continued.

He then jumped up from the ground and turned around, facing Elsa's unconscious body that lay limp on the ground near the wall. He spun his sword while running towards her body. He had no intent to kill her. He had only intended to give Kai a reason to do what he had never done before.

Kai chased after Deren, hastily. He grabbed his sword and dagger from the ground in the process. He hoped that he could get to Deren before Deren got to Elsa.

In his mind, Kai thought about it hard. In the end, he realized that some rules were worth breaking if it benefited others for the good. Kai knew that if he did what Deren wanted to do, he would break the code he had worked so long to keep. But, he would also avenge countless lives including the life of his mother. He would also prevent the deaths of countless to come if he let Deren go free.

Kai set his mind on his goal. He knew what he had to do. He almost shed a tear while running.

When Deren reached Elsa, he didn't have time to hurt her any further. Kai stabbed Deren through the gut from behind with his sword. He then stabbed Deren through the chest with his dagger.

Deren looked down at his chest to see the blade of a dagger stick out of it. Blood dropped from the tip of the blade.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please write a review/comment to let me know what you think.

Oh, that character twist. The less said about this, the better. The next chapter will be the final part of the Sky of Shadows chapters, so look forward to that. It'll deal with the aftermath of this battle, and it may be the last time you'll see Deren living. It also may be quite shorter than the other chapters, so forgive me for that.

I want to see your reactions on the end of this chapter. Was it a good or bad thing?

Ciao.


	36. A Sky of Shadows - Part IV

**A Sky of Shadows - Part IV**

* * *

Kai was careful to pull out his sword from Deren's lower abdomen and his dagger out from Deren's chest. Deren, who was bleeding incredibly from both wounds, began to lean back rather than forward. If he fell forward, he would've fallen down right on top of Elsa, and he was done hurting people. Besides, Elsa seemed pretty hurt already. He didn't want to torment Kai and his friends anymore. He was done with everything.

Kai's hands let go of his weapons and they fell to the ground with blood smeared on both sides of his dagger and sword. He then put his hand on the back of Deren's neck, supporting his old friend as he slowly fell backwards. Both Kai and Deren knew that that would be the last time Deren would ever stand.

Slowly and carefully, Kai lay Deren down on his back. The blood poured out from under, slowly soaking his clothes and creating a pool of blood under Deren. His eyes were still open and moving. His breathes, although slow and shallow, were still going on. In. Pause. Out. In. Pause. Out. Kai could tell the amount of work it was taking for Deren to breath, much less think and talk.

Kai knelt down next to the dying man, pitying the sight before him. Sure, Deren wasn't the greatest individual in the world. He wasn't an angel. But, he was still human, and Kai didn't think he would ever have to kill a human being.

"I didn't want to do that." Kai told Deren. Deren half expected Kai's voice to be trembling and his eyes watering, but Kai looked so stern and serious as he spoke. It was as if killing a man had almost no effect on him.

"I know." Deren weakly said. "That's why I needed to threaten her. It was the only way you would-" Deren coughed violently. Blood flew out from his mouth and onto his clothes. Most of the area around his mouth was stained with his own blood. It wasn't a good way to look when dying.

"I honestly thought the end of us wouldn't look like this." Deren joked. He managed a weak smile, but it showed more pain than happiness or joy. "I really thought that I would come on top."

"I could never let that happen." Kai told Deren. He looked over at Elsa who was still unconscious. Kai was sure she was alive. He could see her chest rise with every weak breath. "There is still life for me."

"There is." Deren agreed. "Not for me, though. A life driven by revenge is no life at all. If only I could've realized that before I accepted my death."

"All of these years past," Kai started, "and you have realized it at the worst time."

"Life's a bitch, ain't it?" Deren joked. He almost laughed if it didn't hurt him so much.

"It sure does bite you in the ass a lot." Kai agreed. Then, he looked over at Elsa who was still clinging onto her life. "But sometimes... It gives back."

"Only to the fortunate." Deren sadly said. "Life takes more than it gives, but, I see that it gave you something it never gave me."

"And what would that be?" Kai inquired.

"A chance." Deren answered. "A chance to become something other than what you were born to be."

"Maybe I was born to be who I am now." Kai rebutted.

"Fate didn't turn you into this." Deren argued. "You were born as a peasant, then you were a thief, and now look at you. You made a choice somewhere, and you chose right."

"You have no idea how many things I regret doing in the process." Kai distantly said, not even looking his dying rival in the eye. "I've done a lot of wrong in my life. I just thought that I needed to do something right."

"And I did not." Deren said, coughing out more blood. His face was getting paler by the second as he lost more and more blood. "Oh, how I wish life could rewind as easy as it is to stand."

"Everything happens for a reason." Kai said. He tried to recall who told that to him. Although whoever said it drifted out of his mind, the words did not.

"Unfortunately." Deren agreed. "Things happen for the stupidest reasons. Everyone I have killed, everyone I have hurt, all on my quest for blood... In vain."

"They have been avenged," Kai said, "so hopefully they'll be at peace. And I hope you will be as well."

"But," Deren said, "I guess I had more of a reason to help Mara. She said that freedom creates chaos, and I might've thought that she was right for a while. Hell, maybe she still is right. As long as there is freedom, there can be no true peace."

"Freedom is peace." Kai argued.

"There is a difference between the freedom to live ones life and the freedom to do as one pleases." Deren pointed out. "I know you mean the former. Freedom is a door to chaos, whether you like it or not. You can't deny that."

"I can and will." Kai argued again. "The freedom to do as we wish is a basic human right. Look at all we've accomplished."

"And look at the rapers, murderers, and thieves." Deren said. "They were doing just as they pleased. Tell me no chaos has come from that. You're too optimistic about the world around you."

I wonder where I got that from, Kai asked himself in his mind.

"After all these years past, some things still don't change." Deren said. "You wield your blade like a man, but your words like a child. But, you're starting to make a change. Today, you acted out of duty. Only the strongest of men could do such things."

"Only the strongest of men could murder?"

"Many would argue that there is a difference between murder and justice." Deren said. "Call it what you like, but just understand what it truly was."

"Mercy then." Kai said.

Deren nodded in agreement. Mercy was a good word. Mercy and justice. Kai had just prevented Deren from living a poisonous life.

"I'm sorry, Kai." Deren finally said. "I know that it's way too late to apologize, but I'm sorry. For everything. I killed your mother. I shot you. I took months of your life away from you. I helped start the end of the world. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I don't deserve any."

"I'm all out of forgiveness." Kai said. He couldn't forgive Deren. After all Deren has done, his sins couldn't wash away that easily. Yet, watching him suffer pained him. It has been about seventeen years since he had a kind conversation with Deren, and their conversations after those ones didn't make Kai like Deren any better.

Pity was what Kai felt for Deren. Pity for what Deren forced himself to go through.

"Damn you, Deren." Kai said. "You made me do this. I wanted my hands to be clean my entire life."

"That's too much to ask for for someone of your skills." Deren grimly said. "You do what you have to do to protect someone you love."

"I can't believe I'm being told this by you of all people." Kai joked.

"I asked for this." Deren assured. "My words and actions both led us to where we are now. Do not feel remorse over your actions. I killed myself, and I might as well have." He then began to cough more. "Kai?" Deren asked. "I'm scared. Not of dying, but of what lies beyond."

"What are you scared about?" Kai asked.

"I welcome death with open arms." Deren elaborated. "But, I'd hate to think that everything I've been through in life would just leave to nothing. No karmic consequence. I don't want there to be... Nothing. I want there to be something... Anything is better than nothing."

"I don't have all the answers." Kai admitted.

Kai, himself, has asked that same question in his mind countless times. What comes after taking the last breath was what he wanted so hard to find out. Is it like an eternal dream? Is there a heaven and hell? Or, does one just cease to exist without a conscious like how it is prior to birth. Kai reckoned that he would just have to wait and find out.

Deren didn't look all that relieved. But, he was at peace with death nonetheless. But, why did it hurt so much?

"If there is a hell," Deren started, "then my life has bought a ticket for me." He then began to cough out blood more violently than ever. He put his hands over his wounds, feeling the blood coming out.

"Hey," Kai said, "save me a spot down there, will you? After all I've done... Maybe I bought a ticket as well."

"The difference between you and me is that you still have your whole life ahead of you." Deren said with his dying breath. "You can still change where you're going."

Deren's last words were slow and quiet, but Kai could still make them out,

"Be who you want to be," Deren finally said, "not who you think you have to be..."

Deren's head then rolled to the side with his eyes still open. His hands stopped moving over his wounds. His breaths stopped coming. And with that, Deren let go of life, his eyes still open.

Kai knew that a natural reaction to killing a person was throwing up right then and there. Another reaction was to scream at the top of your lungs in remorse. Some, however, would have no such negative reactions and just think to themselves about what they've done. The most evil and despicable would laugh and clap. Kai was not in that last category.

Resolved. That was the word that best describes what Kai felt. After all of his years wielding a sharp weapon, Kai had promised himself that he would never directly take a life. But, now he broke that rule, and he did not feel sorry. He would be lying and deluding himself if he said Deren didn't deserve what he got. At least his last words contradicted his past sins. He was wise at the end, but blinded by rage for most of his life.

He thought that Deren should have had a second chance, but after everything that's happened, he wasn't sure whether Deren deserved it.

Kai grabbed Deren's sword which was right next to his fresh corpse. He decided whether or not he should claim it as his own. A token of battle. The steel of the sword was rather impressive and it could prove useful to Kai on many occasions. Then, Kai thought about how disrespectful that would be to his deceased friend and enemy. Kai would gain no honor in taking what was not his in life.

Deren was a warrior, and warriors deserved to die with their weapons.

Kai put the sword on Deren's chest and posed his hands so that they were grabbing the handle of the sword.

"Goodbye... Old friend." Kai said with finality as he closed Deren's eyelids.

He then realized that Elsa's body was not too far away from Deren's. She was, indeed, alive, and it would be wise for Kai to not regret it. He stood up and moved over to Elsa's body. As he took his few steps, he could hear nothing but the sound of his shoes tapping against the stone ground. It was so quiet. There was no crazy sounds. There was no chaos. It was... Peaceful.

Kai feared that with death comes peace.

Kai slid his hands and arms under Elsa, his left arm under her shoulders, and his right arm under her knees. He then picked her up with both arms, holding her horizontally. It almost looked like he was holding her like a baby.

Silently, he carried her away as he walked away from Deren. Kai had to leave Deren behind. There was no practical reason to bring him along. Maybe, if he had time, he would take Deren's body out and give him a proper send-off. But, there was no time for that now. He wanted to be rid of that place once and for all.

As he walked up the large stairs and towards the doorway that led to another but much more confined set of stairs, Kai was lost in his own thoughts.

Murder, or justice. Murder, or justice. But, Kai reckoned that there was a difference between murder and killing. Deren had insisted that he killed himself since his own actions led him to that point. Yet, Kai was still the instrument. Should the instrument still feel remorse?

Kai, surprisingly, did not. He had his reasons for stabbing Deren, and although he broke his rule, he had a noble intention. Deren has done more harm than good, and someone like that should not be allowed to run around in the world.

He carried Elsa up the stairs and through the opening to the outside. He expected there to be sunlight, but there was no such thing. The sky was a mixture of purple, black, and green patches of light here and there. There was no pattern in the colors. The temperature was colder than it should've been, and it was colder than it is even at night time.

Kai would've dropped Elsa in surprise if he didn't care about her safety. Luckily for her, he did, and he continued to carry her.

"Mara, what have you done?" Kai whispered.

He could feel Elsa moving in his arms. Kai looked down at her face to see her eyes just barely open, yet she still looked a little groggy. After blinking a few times, she realized that she was staring right at Kai's face. Elsa smiled warmly at him, but after everything that had just happened and everything that was happening right then and there, Kai didn't smile back.

"Is this a dream?" Elsa asked.

"No." Kai answered.

Kai then was shocked when Elsa put her arms around his neck and pulled her head closer to his shoulders. She buried her face in between in shoulder and neck, incredibly happy with affection.

"You're back." Elsa said, repeating it a few times. "You have no idea how much I've worked for this."

"Oh, I have some idea." Kai said. He could remember every time he had encountered Elsa and the others when in his dark state. He looked at them and mentally screamed at himself. He wanted so bad to just change those memories, but he couldn't. It was like taking a back seat while someone was playing around with your body, and you can feel and see their actions.

Elsa realized how dark it was and looked up at the sky in horror.

"Oh no." Elsa whispered. "Mara actually-"

"Yep." Kai interrupted. "I have eyes. I can see exactly what's above us."

He then began to walk away from the big rock that was the entrance to Mara's old home. He remembered exactly how to get back to Arendelle. The walk was not that far at all, being only about a mile and a half away. Kai just hoped that he wouldn't have to carry Elsa the entire way.

"We failed, then." Elsa said. "We lost."

"We can still stop it." Kai said, not sure if he was lying. "The trolls will hopefully know how. Plus, the eternal darkness is still young. We can still survive for quite a while."

"Then let's hope we can stop this all before "quite a while" comes." Elsa said.

She then recalled the terms in which she was knocked out. Mara and Deren were in the room with them, but now, they were outside with no Mara or Deren to be seen. That raised a lot of questions in Elsa's mind.

"Kai?" Elsa asked. "Where's Mara?"

"She left." Kai answered. "After she hit you, she just teleported away. Poof. I have no idea where she went, but it doesn't bode well."

"And Deren?" Elsa asked. "What happened with him?"

Kai didn't answer. Elsa looked up at him with a worried look as he carried her. Something good did not happen, Elsa knew that for a certainty. She had to be sure. Kai wasn't one to hold secrets from her forever.

"Kai." Elsa said. "What happened to Deren?" Her tone was much more serious and demanding, yet there was a feeling of gentleness in it.

Kai answered "He drinks damnation."

* * *

Mara teleported into a clearing in a whip-like fashion. Everything seemed to be in order. She didn't have any missing limbs or extra body parts which was a sign that her teleportation method went well.

She had to be careful whenever she used it. Mara almost never used it because it was more trouble than it was worth. For one, she had to be under the guise of darkness such as night or, in this case, a sky of shadows. And, she couldn't easily control where she was going. Mara could think of a basic idea of where she wanted to be, and she would teleport to more or less that area. But, it required a lot of focus and energy. Mara decided that she would rather walk. She could use some exercise.

Luckily for her, it didn't go horrible wrong. She could feel her feet land on grass, and so she had a feeling that she was in the forest somewhere. She found herself in a large clearing surrounded by thick trees. The trees looked like the ones which neighbored Arendelle in abundance, so she knew that she was still in the same country.

The sky was the black, purple, and green mix of colors she loved. The air seemed colder. Mara took in a big breath to savor the dark goodness she thought it was. Savor was not the right word... Mara intended to keep things like this for a while.

"Ah..." Mara said, happily. "Now that the skies are mine, it's time to control the lands."

Mara hit the butt of her staff against the grassy ground, and blobs of black energy - or was it muck? - appeared, spaced on the ground around her. There were about five blobs in all. The outline of three of the blobs glowed with green energy. The remaining two, which were almost twice the size, glowed with a purple aura, although it was still black.

The blobs rose from the ground and began to take shape. It looked like someone was making something with wet clay, yet there were no hands working it. The blobs changed so that they formed what looked to be arms and legs. Lastly, a head popped out of their alleged torsos.

Mara found herself surrounded by five humanoid creatures.

Three of them, which were the ones who had a green aura around them, were small compared to most humans. They were completely proportionate, yet they only stood to be either around three and a half to four feet tall. They seemed to be skinny and slender. They had no hands, and their arms looked like a bendable needle as their hands were replaced by a pointing end. Their eyes, like their aura, were green. Other than small slit-like eyes, they had no facial features.

The larger ones with a purple aura were much bigger than the green ones. They stood to be the average height of a grown man, with one of them being five and a half feet tall while the other was six feet tall. They had actual hands but with only four fingers, including the thumb, and missing the pinky. They were bulkier than the smaller, skinnier ones, with the average build of a man if not bulkier. Their eyes were larger than their smaller counterparts and they glowed purple.

Once they saw Mara, the five of them knelt down around her in a circle. A smile broke across her face. The Harbinger of Darkness was pleased.

"My children." Mara said, smiling. "My Spawns."

They did not respond. They could not speak. The Spawns had no reason to speak. Their only purpose was to serve under the one who had given them life, and they would serve to the death.

"I will create more brethren for you, children." Mara assured them. "They will pop up all over the world, and they will know what to do. The humans will fear us, and if they won't, I'll give them a reason to."

The spawns formed a half circle behind Mara as if they knew exactly what she wanted to do. Mara pointed the tip of her staff to the ground a few yards in front of her, and a huge, ginormous blob of darkness appeared. When she raised her staff higher in the air, the blob rose from the ground.

Mara didn't realize how much energy she was putting into her new addition to her spawns. She could feel the energy drain from her body rapidly as if it were taking from her life force. If that were true, Mara couldn't risk creating another large Spawn like she was then or else it would claim her life. With more power comes sacrifice. She couldn't even see a streak of her black hair turn grey.

The blob transformed into a large, large creature. It formed so that it stood on four legs. It grew a fairly long neck being about half the size of it's body. The tail shot out from its rear and it looked long enough to be able to wrap itself around it's legs once. From its back, wings shot out and their span was impressive. Claws grew on its feet. Spike-like bumps grew on the top of its head and down the middle-back of its body all the way to the end of the tail which had a sharp end. When it's eyes opened, they glowed a bright green.

The dragon leaned its head down to Mara who petted it and scratched its chin like it was a puppy. It stood to be about twenty feet high if it extended its neck, much larger than Mara or the Spawns, yet it listened only to Mara. She controlled the dragon which was, at the moment, the most powerful creature on the planet.

"My beautiful baby." Mara said to the dragon. "I know you have a thirst for blood. I'll give it to you, I promise. Alas, we must wait. Let the humans play their little game for now, assuming they know what they're playing. We shall bide our time, and when it finally comes... You will taste blood."

* * *

Elsa regained the ability to walk after Kai carried her for a few minutes. She was, however, still injured and was forced to lean on Kai for support. As they walked, she had her right arm over his shoulder and her left hand over his chest. Kai had his own left arm slung over Elsa's shoulder to help with the support she needed.

They didn't walk in complete silence the entire journey. When they reached the top of a hill which overlooked Arendelle, Elsa started to tell Kai the story of her journey and all that has happened. As they descended down the hill, Kai was only half listening since he was too busy trying to make sure Elsa didn't fall and trip and roll down the hill.

Elsa talked about the death of Pabbie, but Kai didn't need to be reminded of that. She mentioned Bloom the fairy, and Rhys the archer. Rhys interested Kai. Everything about Rhys seemed to be a story worth telling. Kai wanted to personal meet and thank Rhys for everything he had done. Without him, he wouldn't be where he was now.

She finished her story just as they reached the foot of the hill. They walked towards a gap between buildings which would let them enter the city. When they entered, they found a lot of the civilians looking up at the sky and talking amongst each other about what has happened. Gasps came out when they saw Elsa and Kai walking together. No one approached the couple, even though they could see the condition both were in. They just walked in silence, and Kai and Elsa didn't mind ignoring them.

One guard spotted the two and did not hesitate to approach them.

"Your grace." The guard said, offering her his help.

Elsa waved him off. "I am fine." Elsa half lied. "Send word out to the other guards and citizens to go about their daily business. This sky isn't going to get blue anytime soon."

The guard, confused as to what that last sentence meant, bowed and walked away.

Elsa and Kai could spot the top of the castle from where they were on the ground. They were close, and Elsa couldn't wait to just go home and get the rest she desperately needed and craved.

"What did you mean when you said Deren drinks damnation?" Elsa asked Kai. He had been rather silent about Deren their entire walk. Elsa didn't want to pry a lot, but she reckoned now was as good as a time as any.

"He's dead." Kai bluntly answered.

"How?" Elsa inquired, having a bad feeling that she already knew.

"Two stab wounds." Kai answered although he really didn't say what Elsa wanted to hear.

"I'm guessing he didn't stab himself." Elsa said, not looking at Kai's face. She knew exactly what Kai had done. Still, she wasn't sure whether or not that affected anything.

The two walked in silence for a few more seconds until Kai finally decided that it was best that he spoke up.

"I did what I had to." Kai said. "He wanted it. I said I didn't, but deep down, I knew that I had to be the one. He threatened to kill you if I didn't do it."

"You still murdered a man." Elsa said. "That's always wrong in someone's eyes."

"Was it murder?" Kai asked, somewhat angry. "He murdered my mother. He murdered his father. He murdered everyone who lived in our old town. He murdered countless others on his pursuit to get to me. Now tell me, is it murder to avenge the deaths of everyone he had wronged?"

"Then what would you call it?" Elsa asked, staring down at Kai.

"Mercy." Kai answered, ignoring her cold stare. "He wouldn't have to live out the rest of his life with grief over what he did... I did it as a friend. An old friend."

"Well," Elsa started, "let's hope you won't have to live with grief over what you did."

"I don't have any grief." Kai coldly said.

When they walked next to a guard who was on a patrol of the city, Elsa gave him orders,

"Go ahead to the castle." Elsa told him. "Tell them to open the gates and get Princess Anna and her husband to wait in the courtyard."

"Right away, your grace." The guard said. He then ran off towards the castle.

Elsa and Kai limped over to the castle in silence, not wanting to recover their conversation after talking about Deren. They soon found themselves walking through the castle gates to find Anna pacing back and forth in the courtyard, Kristoff sitting on the fountain side, and Rhys with his back towards them, restringing his bow. Bloom was flying around with Olaf chasing her.

Anna's worry drained when she saw Elsa walk against Kai into the courtyard. Elsa broke away from Kai's arms and held her arms out for Anna.

"Elsa!" Anna exclaimed as she ran towards her sister. Elsa embraced herself for a big hug, but it wasn't enough. Anna squeezed her so hard it hurt her body bruises. Yet, she didn't show her pain.

"See." Elsa said. "I told you I'd be back."

"I'm sorry I doubted." Anna joked, smiling. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." Elsa admitted. "I got hit harder than I thought, but, I'll live."

Anna then realized that Kai was standing right next to Elsa, but he stood about two feet away. Anna broke away from her sister's arms and stood back, looking at Kai. She could see that his eyes were their natural color.

The first thing that came into Kai's mind was when he grabbed Anna by the throat and choked her against the wall.

"Anna," Kai said, starting to apologize, "I'm-"

Anna lunged at Kai and hugged him tight. Surprised by the loving embrace, he patted her back as she hugged him.

"You're back." Anna stated.

"As if that wasn't obvious..." Kai joked. "I got my memories back and expelled the darkness. But, by then, it was too late."

"I'm sure you did what you could." Anna said.

Kristoff then walked up next to Anna, facing Kai and Elsa. A slight smile broke across his face.

He turned to Elsa. "About time." He joked.

"I'm sorry." Elsa apologized. "You get preoccupied when someone is trying to kill you."

He then turned to Kai and inspected him from head to toe. Kristoff held his hand out at Kai who shook it like an old friend.

"Take a shower, Kai." Kristoff jokes. "You look and smell like crap."

"I feel like crap." Kai admitted.

"Oh yeah," Anna remembered, "there's someone here we want you to meet." She then turned around looking at Rhys who was having trouble stringing his bow. "Rhys, come and meet Kai!"

Kai. Rhys thought. He had seen Kai earlier, but he was sure that wasn't the Kai he was thinking about. But, perhaps there was a change. There had to be a change for him to be sure.

Rhys gently put his bow to the ground and walked over to Kristoff, Anna, Elsa, and Kai. Anna and Kristoff got out of the way to make room for Rhys.

"Kai," Elsa said, "this is Rhys. Rhys, this is Kai."

Kai held out his hand for a shake, but he noticed that Rhys' eyes were widened. Was there something in Kai's face.

Rhys recognized the eyes. The orangish, red eyes. It was the Kai he knew all those years ago after all.

Instead of taking his hand, Rhys lunged and hugged Kai, holding him tight. Kai realized that he wasn't the only one who was thoroughly surprised. Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa all looked at each other with confusion as well.

"It _is_ you." Rhys said. "After all of these years, I never thought I would see you again." He then broke away from Kai and smirked.

"Uh," Kai said, confused. "Am I supposed to know you?"

Rhys' smile broke.

"No." Rhys answered. "I was only a child when I last saw you, and you yourself was only a baby. But, I remembered those eyes. No one else on the planet has the name Kai and possesses eyes like yours. There is no mistaking it. I'm certain you are him."

"Who are you?" Kai asked, done with riddles.

"The question is," Rhys started, "who are _you_? I know who you are. You are the last of my kin. _Our_ kin. You are the blood of my blood. _Our_ blood. You are my younger brother."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please comment/review to let me know what you think.

Oh, that M. Night Shaymalan level plot twist. Rhys and Kai are actually brothers? Find out in the next chapter whether or not that's the truth. And yes, Deren is dead. You won't be hearing from him alive ever again. Also, lots of Assassin's Creed quotes in this chapter.

So, the prequel story is a go. The prequel is a go for launch. I'm definately doing it when this story is over. For the next story, I'm waiting for the Game of Thrones Telltale episodes to all be released so I can have a sense of where I want this other story to go.

Ciao.


	37. Blood of My Blood

**Blood of My Blood**

* * *

Kai said nothing to Rhys after Rhys made his crazy claim. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf had their jaws dropped and eyes widened in awe. They too were too shocked to say or do anything about it. Rhys thought that he would get such a reaction. He didn't care what they thought or believed in, though. He only cared about what his alleged brother believed.

Kai motioned for them to follow him as he walked towards the castle doors. Confused as to what he was going to do, they followed him inside. The entire time, Kai didn't once bother to turn his head back and look at them. That seemed a bit rude of him, but they decided to just cut him some slack. It wasn't everyday that someone would come up to you and make up as crazy of a claim.

He opened the door into the dining hall and found the long table in the center of it was cleared with only a white sheet covering the wooden table. The room was already well lit. Since Kai wasn't walking past the table, they reckoned that they best make themselves comfortable in the dining hall. As they approached their seats, they could see Kai grabbing a few glasses and a bottle of whiskey.

Elsa left the head of the table empty since she thought it best that Kai sat there. Rhys sat to the right of the head, Elsa to the left, Krisroff next to Rhys, and Anna next to Elsa. They couldn't find Olaf in the room so they automatically assumed that he was still playing outside with Bloom. It was odd that they still managed to have fun during such harsh conditions.

Kai put his wine bottle down on the table with five glasses, one for each of them.

"A drink?" Kai offered.

No one accepted his offer. He didn't mind. Kai merely shrugged and put four glasses to the side as he poured his own glass with whiskey in silence. After he was done filling, Kai put the bottle to the side and sat in his chair. Rhys gave him a look that almost looked disgusted as if it was saying "This is the brother I've long lost?"

After Kai took a sip of his whiskey, he began to chuckle while looking at Rhys. No one else could find out what Kai found was funny. They just gave each other awkward glances, wondering if Kai's head was still intact.

"You're quite the comedian." Kai told Rhys in-between chuckles. "You're my brother? That's a good one."

"It's true." Rhys said.

"And what evidence do you have to back that up?" Kai asked, more seriously. His playful demeanor vanished just like that. As if he never laughed in the first place.

"You're full name is Kai Date (Dah-tey) Yeager." Rhys said. "Your father's name was Alden Yeager and he was born in Teranhall Keep and that's where he met Alayne Date, although her father's surname was Collins, who was born and raised in Japan during her younger years, raised by her mother and her mother alone. Opportunity for a better life moved her to Teranhall where she met your... Our father."

"I've never told anyone this about my parents." Kai said after taking a sip of his drink. "How do you know this?"

"Because they were my parents too." Rhys answered. Then, he continued with his story. "They lived together in Teranhall Keep for a while after they were wedded."

"Incorrect." Kai interrupted. "They moved to a small town outside of the capital after they were married."

"Is that what you know or what they told you?" Rhys asked. "No, they have lied to you, Kai. Nine months after their marriage, I was born in a small house in Teranhall Keep. There, I was raised for six years until I found out mother was pregnant again."

Elsa looked over from Rhys to Kai, knowing who the second child was.

"And, you see," Rhys said, "Alden Yeager was not a good man."

Kai slammed his fist against the table, startling everyone. "You're lying!" Kai accused. "My father was a good and honorable man!"

"_Our_ father," Rhys corrected, "was a fiend who loved to drink and gamble away what we had. It was a miracle why mother even put up with him."

"My father has never touched a drop in his life." Kai argued.

"He has many times." Rhys corrected. "Before you were born, trust me, he drank. When he did, he liked to use his fist on things that weren't right to hit. It was never mother, oh no. Can you guess who it was. Hell, he'd hit me when sober. Anyway, our father liked to gamble. One day, when mother's belly was swollen with you, he came back saying "I screwed up! I screwed up! I'm in over my head. They're after me, Rhys, and you too Alayne!"

As Rhys spoke as his father, he let out an impersonation which startled Kai because of its realism.

"He said we needed to leave." Rhys continued. "He said that he was friends with the mayor of a town just outside of the city and that they would be safe there. So, that night, we fled, hiding our faces from the public streets. We were only able to pack a few things. We escaped to this supposed safe haven a day later. There, we became a part of the community. Father got a new job, and we received a house free of charge."

Kai wondered if the house was the same one he grew up in.

"Father learned his lesson." Rhys said. "He stopped drinking. He stopped gambling. He had dignity for a while. When you were born, everything seemed perfect. Your eyes were an odd color, but it didn't bother us."

Rhys almost looked happy diving into that memory. But, something affected his mood and they knew that the story was going to get downhill.

"Then, one day," Rhys continued, "father gave in to the devil's drink one more time. He had a little too much. When he cam home, he gave me this scar." Rhys pointed to the scar on his lip. "I couldn't stay. No matter how much I loved mother. No matter how much I loved you. My hate for him was stronger. So, I ran, and because of that, you grew up without a brother."

"You'd think my parents would've told me I had a brother." Kai said to Rhys, still skeptical as to what Rhys said.

"I always assumed you knew." Rhys said. "Why didn't they tell?"

"And father never drank a drop." Kai argued. "He was clean his entire life."

"I have a theory." Kristoff spoke up. They all refocused their attention to the one they least suspected to speak up. "Think about it. One child was forced away because of cruelty. After you left, they must've vowed to not make the same mistake with Kai and start anew. They probably never mentioned Rhys to Kai because... Kai, how would you feel as a child knowing that your dad was so mean you don't have a brother?"

"I'd be living in fear of him." Kai answered.

"Exactly why I couldn't be anything more than a lost memory in their eyes." Rhys said. "Brother, I-"

"Don't call me that." Kai said. "I grew up without a brother, and I sure as hell don't need one now. The closest thing I had to a brother was Deren, and he's dead."

"How?" Anna asked, surprised to hear that.

"I killed him, alright!" Kai exclaimed. "Don't worry about it, it's done. It's in the past."

"Kai!" Elsa ordered. "Calm down. Stop drinking."

Kai realized that he was just about to bring the glass to his lips. Angrily, he put it down against the table and pushed it away from him. Perhaps, it was the whiskey talking and not his heart.

"For all I know, you could still be lying." Kai told Rhys.

"Kai," Anna said, "he does look a little bit like you."

"And I can say a man looks like a dog." Kai argued. "It doesn't make it anymore true."

"Kai!" They all said at the same time. Everyone believed it except for Kai. There was no denying the resemblance Kai had with Rhys. The look they both had could only belong to brothers.

"You're my brother." Rhys asserted. "Whether you like it or not, we're family. You're the last of my family."

"How'd you know I'm the last?" Kai inquired, skeptically.

"I went home after being separated for many years." Rhys answered. "The town was burned to the ground. Nothing was left but the rubble and burned corpses. I thought you, mother, and father perished."

"I was banished when I was eight." Kai revealed. "My powers caused more trouble than good."

"The last time I saw you, you had no such abilities." Rhys said.

"I got them when I was three or four." Kai answered. "Father did his best to help me control them, but even his help wasn't enough to keep me there."

Elsa realized that the way Kai said "father" made it sound like he meant "our father". Did he accept Rhys' claims as fact?

Kai sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they gave out a sort of sympathetic look.

"Brother by blood, you may be." Kai said. "But you're no true brother. True family would've stuck around. Where were you? Where were you when I needed your help? Where were you when I ran away? Where were you when father lost his job? Where were you when mother died?!"

"Taking care of another family." Rhys answered, calmly. "My own family. But, fate proves to take away what we love most."

"And who's fault is that?" Kai mocked.

Rhys wanted to stand. He wanted to shout. He wanted to punch Kai in his smug face. But, he kept his calm. As the older sibling, it was up to him to keep his cool during arguments. Even though Kai was cautious to believe it, Rhys believed that it was true. He had to act like the older and more wise brother regardless

"Easy." Rhys calmly warned. "You're treading on very thin ice. That's my wife and son we're talking about. Your nephew."

It wouldn't be very respectful of Kai to continue to pry, but Kai wasn't very well known for his respect. But, he could see that family was a very sensitive and touchy subject for Rhys. His eyes showed sadness whenever they were mentioned. Kai wasn't being incredibly nice at the moment, but he wouldn't be intentionally cruel.

"If this is dream, I'd like to wake up now." Kai said as he stood up from the table. He then walked away from his friends and the table, heading towards the door. Kai needed some time alone, and he knew that for a fact. It was his duty to process this newfound information. Although, he would be lying if he said he didn't one hundred percent believed Rhys.

Before Kai opened the door to leave the dining room, he turned back to face everyone.

"I'm sorry." Kai apologized. "I'm sorry if I ever hurt anyone when I was... Yeah." With that, he opened the door and walked out of the room.

But, just as the door out closed, it reopened, this time, with one of the guards entering. He was sweating for whatever reason. There was no way he was sweating because of the heat. There was no sun that could do that. It was obvious that he went to them in an urgent fashion.

"Your majesty." The guard said. "There is trouble outside. These... Black creatures showed up out of nowhere and started attacking the guards we had stationed outside."

"Is it not your job to take care of such predicaments?" Rhys inquired.

"Aye." The guard responded. "But they won't stop coming. There's almost an infinite amount of them."

"Then they'll need all the help they can get. These are the Spawns Mara mentioned." Kai said as he re-entered the dining hall. "Rhys, brother or no, I see you and hear you're good with a bow. I'm gonna need you out there."

"Don't tell me you're going out there." Anna said. "I mean, you just got back from a fight, and-"

"These men aren't immortal, nor are they unlimited." Kai said. "I'm worth more out there than I am in here. Plus, I'm still in good condition."

Rhys nodded at Kai, accepting his offer to fight. Rhys originally planned on leaving with his compensation immediately after Elsa got back, but it seemed that other things have just come up. He wasn't ready to let men die because he was too lazy to help them. Also, he was more than eager to help his own brother out with a problem. Perhaps it would show his good faith. He walked past the guard and stood next to Kai.

Elsa then prepared to rise. "I'm coming too." When she stood up, she almost fell flat against the table. Luckily, her hand was there to support her and keep her up against the table, although her arm was wobbling and weak.

"No." Ordered Kai, Rhys, and Anna. They all could tell that Elsa needed medical attention. Surely she had broken a bone or two, yet she didn't seem to show that it bothered her. But, everyone was smarter than that. Elsa was in no condition to fight, and they weren't going to force her too.

Anna looked over at the guard. "Find the royal doctor." Anna ordered. "Elsa needs medical attention."

"At once." The guard said as he bowed. He then reluctantly ran off, wanting to fight alongside Kai and Rhys. But, he decided that some things were more important than fighting for honor and glory.

After unsheathing his dagger, he held the metal of the weapon flat against Rhys' chest.

"Your bow won't be of much use when they get too close." Kai pointed out. "You know how to use one of these?"

"My ability was never in question." Rhys said, grabbing the dagger and strapping it against his waist.

Kai unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Kristoff who was sitting down, wondering what he could and should do to help with their situation.

"You able?" Kai asked.

"I..." Kristoff said. "I can only use a staff in combat. But, I guess I can-"

Kai tossed his sword at Kristoff, missing Anna's head. Startled, Kristoff got up and barely caught the handle of the blade in his hand. That left Kai with no weapon, Kristoff with his sword, and Rhys with his bow and dagger. Their weapons on hand weren't exactly even, but Kai had a reason to give them out.

"Come." Kai told the others. "Anna, make sure Elsa gets help and see to Lena's safety."

"Will do." Anna nodded.

Kai led Rhys and Kristoff out of the dining room and into battle.

* * *

When Kai kicked open the doors that led to the courtyard, he immediately scanned the area to see what he was messing with.

All around them, creatures made of black darkness surrounded by a green or purple aura were scattered among the courtyard. The larger ones had a purple aura while the smaller ones were green. Their numbers doubled that of the guards, with there being only about ten guards and twenty creatures. Under the dark sky, they would've been almost invisible if it weren't for their aura.

On the ground, about three guards were lying there with bloody holes and gashes on their body. Two were completely limp while the other was doing his best to keep from losing his breath. Most of the guards who were standing had cuts on their bodies which soaked their green uniforms red, but they were still standing and fighting with spears and swords.

"You don't have a weapon." Kristoff said. "Even with powers, you could still be walking into a death trap."

"You don't know what I know." Kai smirked. "Darkness burns like paper."

Kai ran ahead into the fight with Kristoff following him. The two eventually broke apart from their run, running into different parts of the courtyard. Rhys stayed behind and pulled an arrow from his quiver and readied it on his bow.

He spotted a guard with his back against an approaching large spawn. The guard was too preoccupied with jabbing at two small spawns with his spear that he didn't even think of the possibility of being attacked from behind. The large purple spawn behind the guard, who had no sharp ends to his arms unlike the smaller green ones, raised both arms in the air so he could smash the guard from behind.

Rhys let his arrow fly at the purple spawn. It hit it right through the abdomen and flew out of the body, hitting a smaller spawn as it flew out. Both creatures disintegrated into a black ash which soon disappeared like it was nothing.

There was one thing Rhys learned then and there. Spawns died easily. At first, he didn't think them as much of a threat. But, he realized that every minute or two, a small group of spawns formed in the courtyard and joined the fight. They kept coming in, and there was nothing in Rhys' power that he could do to stop them. If all of this was happening in the courtyard, he could only just imagine what was happening around the world.

Three more arrows found their way to his bow. Rhys was no stranger at shooting multiple arrows at a time. In fact, he would use that trick whenever he found it necessary. Sometimes, he just did it to entertain himself. When he let go of the string, the three arrows went flying in three directions, horizontal to each other. One hit a guard who was in the middle of slashing at a large spawn, another through the head of a running spawn, and the third arrow hit a small spawn which was jumping in midair. All three dark creatures died at the same time.

Rhys noticed a spawn running at him on his right. When the spawn was about four feet away, Rhys swung his bow at the creature, knocking it back, but not necessarily killing it. When it was on the ground, Rhys unsheathed Kai's dagger and threw it at the head of the small spawn. After, there was no trace of that the spawn was even there except for the dagger which was sticking out of the stone ground.

He could almost feel the presence of an approaching spawn coming from his left. This one was a purple aura brute spawn. It was fairly far from Rhys's position, being about fifteen feet away. As it ran, or more jogged towards him, Rhys readied an arrow and aimed it at the spawn's face.

But, he didn't let go of the arrow just yet. He wanted to see exactly how smart these creatures were. Were they mindless goons blindly following orders with no idea or knowledge on how to deal with certain situations? Or were they more like specialists who were given an objective and would be forced to find a way to deal with it themselves? But, the fact that the brute didn't change its course even when the tip of the arrow was five feet away from its throat meant that they weren't very bright.

When it was at arms length, Rhys let his arrow fly off of the string of his bow and through the neck of the creatures. It disintegrated into black dust which blew over Rhys and then disappeared completely.

Kristoff wasn't a master of a swordsman yet, but he managed to let himself be the master of his fate during the battle. Although he skills were not on par to that of Kai's, he got the basics of sword handling down.

Kristoff slashed and, at times, flailed his sword around him. That was what he thought was all that was required from swordplay. Since the spawns didn't have any swords of their own, he highly doubted he would have to do anything above and beyond slashing such as blocking ad parrying.

A small spawn approached Kristoff rather quickly and with a rather direct approach. When it was close enough, Kristoff slashed it with his sword. The spawn looked cut through a diagonal line through his body, but it disintegrated a second after Kristoff's attack. However, Kristoff knew that each kill he made wasn't very impactful. He knew that the spawns would keep coming and coming until some miraculous event stopped them from doing so. Kristoff was all out of miracles.

Two smaller spawns ran directly at Kristoff and jumped, lunging at him. While they were in midair, Kristoff slashed the sword horizontally, hitting both spawns jumping at him. They disintegrated before they could even touch Kristoff.

"I'm really getting the hang of this." Kristoff said.

There couldn't be a worse time for him to say that. From behind, a larger spawn locked its arms around Kristoff's shoulders. Struggling, Kristoff jerked his head backwards, hitting the spawn in its own head. However, Kristoff's attempts were futile as the spawn didn't seem to be affected by the attack, nor did it show any signs of pain. He flailed his sword behind him but seemed to miss the spawn entirely.

While Kristoff was locked, a smaller spawn spotted him from the courtyard. It approached after seeing that Kristoff was incapacitated at the moment. The creature made its way towards Kristoff with haste, aiming one of its sharp arms at Kristoff's abdomen.

Only when the approaching spawn was a fair four meters away did Kristoff feel the spawn which had him locked disintegrate from behind. Kristoff dared to look back to see that his subduer was completely gone. Someone must've killed it when a Kristoff wasn't paying attention. That was when Kristoff looked over at Rhys and caught his eye. Rhys then nodded at Kristoff, signifying his deed.

He then remembered that there was another problem in front of him. Kristoff refaced himself forward to find the approaching spawn closer than ever. When it lunged, Kristoff swiped his sword upward, slicing the spawn clean and symmetrically in half down the middle of its body. After disintegrating, Kristoff smiled, proud that he wasn't completely useless after all.

Nothing would make Kristoff feel more confident than Sven's presence. Sven was locked inside the stables that could be accessed through the courtyard. Kristoff had half a mind to go in there and get his best friend out, but then, he remembered something. Something or someone somewhere stated that spawns could only spawn under the sky of shadows directly, meaning the indoors were safe. Sven was currently safe, and it wouldn't be good of Kristoff to take that away from him.

Kai was the spectacle of the battlefield. His kill average could've been two spawns per second. Of course, he didn't attack that fast, but it sure looked like it. With fury and speed and with no weapon whatsoever, he lived up to the standard of the warrior everyone knew he was.

Kai aimed one hand to an incoming small spawn diagonally to the right, and he aimed his other hand towards the spawn incoming from the diagonal left. He shot a blast of fire, careful with the aiming as he didn't want it to fly past the spawns and possibly hurt an ally. His aim was true, however. The fireballs hit both spawns at the same time, and they burned as quickly as a fire would burn through paper.

A larger spawn caught Kai in his eye and approached him directly. All the while Kai was shooting and burning various spawns all around the courtyard who were in the middle of fighting the guards. Kai very well noticed the larger incoming spawn, but he was hesitant to worry about it.

Then, the larger spawn broke into a sprint directly at Kai. The captain, however, pretended to ignore the purple spawn as it ran. When Kai looked over his shoulder for a second, he caught a glimpse of another purple spawn approaching him in a similar manner to the one in front of him. The spawn behind Kai was unfortunately a little more ways away from Kai than the other one.

The spawn which approached Kai from the front finally made it to about arms reach. Unfortunately for it, Kai was ready to take it down. As quick as lighting, Kai's right arm engulfed in a fiery layer. Kai then brought the fist towards the chest of the spawn, ripping right through its body. The spawn then burned to nothing starting from the chest and outwards.

Kai's arm was hovering in the air after a second. The spawn which he had punched was completely gone and out of sight. That was when he recalled the spawn from behind. He reckoned it would be right behind him at that point. Blindly, Kai turned around while sweeping his leg. He managed to knock the spawn which was just right behind him off of its feet and flat on the ground, face first.

Kai re-engulfed his hand in flames and punched down upon the back of the head of the spawn. Starting from the head down, it burned and disintegrated.

When he turned around, Kai faced a purple spawn which prepared to head-butt him. But, before it could do any attack, Kai's dagger flew from the side and made its home on the side of the spawn's head. As the spawn disintegrated, Kai caught the dagger as it fell from nothing.

He didn't need an explanation as to what had just happened. He knew very well who threw it. Kai turned to the direction the dagger came from to find Rhys jogging towards him, shooting and nocking arrows as he approached.

"You have better aim than I thought." Kai complimented. He realized then that Rhys wasn't as bad as he initially perceived.

"I cannot lose my brother." Rhys said.

"Rhys," Kai started, "I-"

The deafening roar of a creature could be heard in the distance. It sounded like it came from the sky, past the gates to the castle. The screech made everyone in the courtyard stop their current fight and look up at the origin of the sound. The spawns, who had given up on taking down their opponent, dissolved into darkness a few seconds after the roar was heard. It was as if their job was already done.

A black birdlike creature appeared faintly in the sky. It got closer, and no one was reassured by that.

"What is that?" Kristoff asked Kai and Rhys as he approached the two.

"I don't know." Kai answered. "But, it looks like a-"

"DRAGON!" Olaf exclaimed from the balcony outside of Elsa's study. Elsa stood with Olaf on the balcony, clutching her side. No one knew how long she was spectating.

Although it was hard to see because of the colors of the sky, there was no mistaking it. A giant black dragon which was flying in the sky swooped down from the sky and descended down towards the courtyard. It was clear where it was going to land. Everyone ran over to the front of the castle, where the doors were, and huddled up as that's where they believed they would be safe from the dragon's land.

As it got closer, Rhys readied an arrow and Kai prepared to shot a stream of fire,

"Mine!" Both Kai and Rhys announced.

But, the dragon came in closer than they would've thought. It closed its wings and plummeted straight down onto the open spot in the courtyard. At the last second, it extended its legs and feet, landing on the ground perfectly. Kai, Rhys, and Kristoff were knocked back and a great gust blew against the guards. Some of them had lost their hats and helmets.

The black dragon screeched, facing the men. No one dared challenge the might of the creature. They all opted to stay put as that would allow them to live just a little longer.

Rhys quickly got on his feet and re-nocked and arrow, aiming it at the dragon's head.

"I wouldn't." Said Mara who was approaching the men, walking under the dragon's body. The creature was so large that she didn't even have to lower her head to walk under it.

"I'd thought you'd have more decency," Kai said as he got back up, "than to attack the enemy at their own home when they're not prepared."

"It won't matter how I do it." Mara said. "In the end, everyone will pay the price I've put out. I just thought that it would be kind to take you lot out where you would most likely want to be taken out: home."

"I'd rather go down with honor." Elsa said from the balcony. Both Kai and Mara looked up to see Elsa leaning against the side. "Out in the open." Elsa continued. "Not stuck here like a pig bred for slaughter, dying in our pit of sorrow."

"Is that not human life in a nutshell?" Mara inquired. "People live just to die. And for what? Many believe a good and faithful life will earn them a ticket to what they call heaven. Others believe that you'll come back in the form of something else. Perhaps there is nothing but oblivion. Even I don't know what happens after life passes, but, whatever does happen, you live life just to get to that point. Living just seems wasteful to me since death is guaranteed to all. I'll be the first to admit out of all of us that I don't believe in any god or a higher power. But, if there was one... Well, you're looking right at her."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please comment/review to let me know what you think.

Don't think that the next chapter will start the climax, no, there are still a few more chapters until we get to the multi-part climax. I'm thinking that it will be at least six chapters and at most nine. It's going to be epic in scope. Also, I'm deciding with myself whether or not there be a major character death in the climax. Perhaps multiple if I feel like it. The ending and epilogue will give an assertive conclusion to the stories of these characters with no open ends. Some characters, like Deren, have a story that best ends in death. So, be scared. It may be your favorite character(s). Mwahahaha!

(For those of you who think Kai is safe because he's been around forever, try me. I'm not scared of killing him off if that's the best way for his story to end. I'm not saying I will kill him off though. He's, arguably, my greatest creation. But, be warned. Nobody is safe.)

I've had a few death monologues in my story recently. I've tried my best to balance the thought of eternal oblivion and the afterlife in them. Personally, I really don't know what I believe in after death. I've been taught and raised of the idea of heaven/hell, but then again, eternal oblivion (meaning no conscious after death) seems much more realistic. I'd like to believe in heaven, but I don't know. I'm not doubting the existence of heaven at all, but factual proof and evidence of what happens after death will make me a believer. I'll tell you guys this: there is not much that truly scares me, but the one thing that scares me for a fact is death.

Anyway, enough about me. I hope Rhys' explanation about his and Kai's origins satisfied you guys. I planned on having a flash back scene which showed Rhys as a child and Kai as a baby, but I realized that it would be too long.

As a matter of fact, Rhys was one of things I added to the story later than I would have liked. Originally, Rhys was not even supposed to be in there and Kai would still be an only child. But, as I kept on writing, I decided I needed to add more emotional attachment to the story as well as the addition of another plot twist. the same goes for Deren's death. Originally, Deren was supposed to die a good guy, but for the same mentioned reasons, I made Kai kill him.

For future projects, I'll put out the prequel a few weeks after this story is done. It will be incredibly short compared to this story. For my completely new, unrelated Frozen project, I'll treat it as a late summer story.

Ciao.


	38. Countdown

**Countdown**

* * *

"Now," Mara started, "who wants to die at the hands of a god?"

"I have only one God." Rhys said. "And he sure as hell won't appreciate you taking his place."

"Ah." Mara said. "Delusional. Look at this man, people." Mara extended her arms and then pointed to Rhys. She wanted everyone to keep their attention on him. "Let him be an example of what happens to people when they deny what's true." She then looked up at her dragon. "If you please." She continued.

Mara stepped out of the way as the dragon stepped forward, eyes locked on Rhys. Rhys gulped and widened his eyes when he realized what the dragon was about to do. The green glow in the bottom of its throat signified one thing: things were about to get hot.

The dragon did not hesitate to breath fire at Rhys. Kai, who was standing right next to him, seemed to be in the line of fire as well. But, fire couldn't harm him even if he wanted it to. Elsa let out a gasp and covered her mouth as she watched from her balcony. The guards gasped and yelled worried phrases. None of them were in harm's way, though. They stood too far from the dragon, Rhys, and Kai.

At the last second, before the green stream of fire hit Rhys, Kai stepped to the side, standing in front of Rhys. Before the fire could hit him, he shot his own stream of fire to counter and clash it. The dragon definitely wasn't expecting it as its stream was pushed back. Their streams met in the middle, Kai doing his best to push the dragon fire back. His face did not show any signs of despair. He looked rather stern and serious as if he wasn't struggling, but he wasn't having a walk in the park either. But, after a few seconds, Kai pushed back even more. His stream got stronger and bigger.

The dragon was a minion but it had a mind. If it let Kai's stream push its own stream into its mouth, then there was no way it would survive as it would burn on the inside. So, when Kai's stream came close enough to the dragon's face, it closed its mouth and Kai's fire it its face. This caused the dragon's head to be hit back and for it to fall onto the ground.

"Oh, how dare you." Mara said, not exactly angrily. "Do you know how hard it is to make one of those? So rude and inconsiderate. You know what? I might kill you first."

"Enough!" Elsa ordered.

Mara raised an eyebrow and looked over at Elsa, forgetting Kai.

Elsa, although still in her recovering state, vaulted off of the railing of her balcony. In midair, she created an ice slide beneath her feet, sliding down over her guards and landing right next to Kai and Rhys. The ice slide then turned into tiny snowflakes, disappearing for good.

"This is not the way to do things." Elsa argued.

"I fail to see where you have jurisdiction over me." Mara said. "The dark sky means I own the earth. You would do good to not rebel over what is already mine."

"I only mean to negotiate." Elsa explained.

"Negotiate?" Mara repeated. "Would you like me to leave you alone so you can all starve to death on your own. If that's what you want, then-"

"I will not sit here while we all starve with no action." Elsa argued. "I'm sure you know of a little something caller honor, right?"

"I'm familiar with the term." Mara said.

"Then tell me." Elsa continued. "Where is the honor in taking out people where their heart is and when they're least suspecting?"

"I figured it would be kinder than to let you all scramble to survive." Mara countered.

"It's funny how alleged kindness and honor mean different things." Elsa argued. "If you didn't realize, there is no honor in what you're doing."

"Why should I care if there is honor or not?" Mara inquired.

"Because you call yourself a god," Elsa answered, "and gods would have the decency to respect the words and wanting of those below them."

Elsa almost threw up when she said that. She basically was admitting to Mara her superiority over them and how they submitted with their words. No way in the world would Elsa ever truly accept Mara as what Mara thinks she is. But, this may be the only way for Elsa to get what she wanted, and she had to take the shot. If she missed, then they would die. Hell, if she made it, they all might die nonetheless.

"Get to the point, Elsa." Mara ordered. "What is it you're asking of me?"

"I'm asking for you to meet me and my men in the battlefield in due time." Elsa requested. "That way, you'll honor us by giving us one last stand, and you can be known as having an honorable reputation."

"And why would I want that?" Mara asked. "What's a reputation worth in the end of the world?"

"You wouldn't want that." Elsa admitted.

Kai shot Elsa a look that said "What are you doing?" He was perplexed as to what exactly Elsa planned to achieve. Arendelle only had enough men to barely call an army. Mara had a virtually unlimited army as long as the sky was like the way it was. In an all out open battle, there was no way Arendelle could win. Elsa was merely delaying their deaths... Perhaps that's what she was trying to do.

"But," Elsa continued, "I guess you spoke too highly of your spawns as they wont live up to your praise. Sure, they can strike an enemy when they least suspect it, but it would seem they would lose in an all out battle."

Mara chuckled. "Trying the reverse psychology method, eh?" Mara asked. It was a rhetorical question. She didn't need Elsa to answer. "I assure you, my spawns are more than able to take out your pathetic army."

"Then prove it in the battlefield." Elsa defiantly said.

Mara's amused look faded, replaced by a raised eyebrow. She knew that Elsa was playing her, but seeing as though Mara had all of the power, she decided to play along with Elsa. Elsa's attempts may be the most amusing thing Mara could see in her lifetime.

"A chance is all we want." Elsa pleaded. "A chance to have one last stand for everyone on the planet."

Mara stared down Elsa, and she returned the favor. Intimidation was the key. It was the piece that would win the game. Mara intended to scare Elsa into wimping out of this fight she wanted. But, Elsa did not back down. Of course she would not back down. She wasn't willing to give up the world's fate because of some witch giving her the evil eye.

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Mara closed her eyes and sighed. Perhaps she would allow herself to be amused after all. She knew well that people who brought themselves up higher than they are fall higher than they would've. Mara wanted to see Elsa fall that high.

"Very well." Mara agreed. "Are you sure you want to play this game?"

"It's a game no one wants to play." Elsa said. "But we will play it nonetheless."

"I will give you two days to prepare." Mara offered.

"Two weeks." Elsa argued.

"Four days." Mara doubled.

"A week and a half." Elsa lowered.

"One week." Mara said as her final offer.

"Deal." Elsa said.

Kai wondered exactly why Elsa wanted more than two days. Two days would be just enough time to ready the men in Arendelle and send them into battle. Any longer will just be idle time. He knew better than to doubt Elsa's perception of time. He knew better than anyone that Elsa wasn't hopeless when it came to war, although she never had the displeasure of being in one.

The delay of time meant one thing; Elsa needed time to do something. Whatever that thing was, Kai hoped one week was enough time to do so.

"Where would you like this to be settled?" Mara asked.

"In the Field of Flight." Elsa answered.

Kai wasn't incredibly familiar with the Field of Flight. Business nor pleasure ever drove him to wander to Arendelle's famous field. Kristoff, however, has been there before. Kai recalled the description Kristoff gave to him. It was located about a mile out of Arendelle in the forest. The field was a large clearing. Large as in humongous. It was said to be about two miles in length and width. If the stories were true, blood has not been spilt on its grass for a few hundred years.

"Then it's settled." Mara said. "Bring as many men as you can muster and ready in one week's time. It won't matter. In the end, the grass will be dyed red."

Mara then stepped back and threw the back of her robes in front of her. In a black whip, she disappeared into nothing the way she had when she fled her old home. Elsa witnessed the scene without blinking, showing Mara that she won't ever keep her eye off an opponent.

The dragon looked into the sky and let out a roar. It sounded more like a screech, but it still unsettled everyone in the courtyard nonetheless. It then flapped its wings and flew into the air. The force of the pushed air of the wings blew against everyone in the courtyard, blowing off a few hats in doing so.

"Tend to the wounded." Elsa told her guards. "And go home when you're done. You all deserve some rest."

Elsa then turned to Rhys and Kai. The two understood that they would be standing in a triangle.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Kai asked Elsa.

She met his answer with silence. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know. They showed regret, almost.

"These men are doomed." Rhys said. "Mara has an unlimited amount of spawns, and we have men who can die and whose deaths will affect our numbers. All these men will die."

"And are you going to be the one to tell them that?" Kai asked. Rhys' mood wasn't helping them at all.

"Don't bother giving me the pleasure." Rhys said. "I'm leaving."

Elsa and Kai shot confused looks at Rhys. Kai's look seemed more angry than confused.

"What?" Kai asked.

"War was never my forte." Rhys said. "Besides, I've done my part in all of this. I've done what was requested for me, and it would be respectful if you did not ask for more."

"So," Kai started, "you come in and tell me you're my brother, and after that, you're already saying goodbye."

"Family is not my priority, Kai." Rhys said. "There are some people out there that I still need to take care of and make sure they're safe."

"Who's they?" Kai asked.

"The orphans of Vaylor City." Rhys answered.

"You're going to abandon us to take care of some kids a sea away?" Kai asked, making sure he heard that right.

"I'm not abandoning anybody." Rhys defended. "But, they're just kids with no one to defend them. No one who gives a flying crap except for me. For a while, they were my family. Hell, they still are."

"You'll be helping them by staying here and fighting." Kai said.

"If I'm going to die, Kai," Rhys started, "I'll die knowing for a fact that they're alright."

"They-" Kai was interrupted before he could finish his statement.

"That's enough from both of you." Elsa butted in. She was sick and tired of having to listen to constant bickering between supposed brothers. This was not how a healthy family bond should be led. They were almost better off than they were before knowing their identities.

Elsa turned to Rhys. "You're right, Rhys." She admitted. "You've done your part, and I'll give you your desired amount of money. That will make things even between us. Go back to those kids, Rhys. They need someone to explain things to them."

"How much is money worth right now?" Kai inquired.

"It's still something." Rhys said. "And I'll take it."

"Kai, make arrangements for a ship for Rhys so he can go to Teranhall, and from there, he can get to Vaylor City." Elsa requested.

"Why me?" Kai asked.

"Because I said so." Elsa insisted. "Also, get Rhys his money, would you. He'll tell you however much he wants, and make sure you give it to him."

"But-"

"I'm not negotiating." Elsa said. "When you're done, head to the Valley of the Living Rock." Elsa then turned away and walked towards the castle doors. "We're going to have a little talk with the trolls regarding a certain sword."

* * *

Kai and Rhys almost carried Rhys' final boxes of riches in silence. They did so with the other few. Each trip from the castle to the docks was in silence. Maybe out of awkwardness, or perhaps it was out of resentment. It didn't matter the reason in the end. They were silent, and it wasn't until their final trip did they break that silence.

Rhys was the first to speak up after Kai and him picked up the box of riches Kai ordered to be put out for him and Rhys. They volunteered to take the boxes down to the ship themselves as it would be kind for the servants to relax at the end of the world.

"Never thought that our reunion would be like this." Rhys said as they walked to the gates of the castle. "Looking at my brother... And seeing a stranger."

"Up until today, I never knew I had other family besides my mom and dad." Kai said. "They should've told me."

"Yes, they should've." Rhys agreed. "But, what's done is done. It's in the past. No point in trying to change it. All that matters is where we go from here."

Kai opened the gates after he put down his box for a second. He then picked it back up and the two continued walking down the bridge.

"There isn't much we can do." Kai said. "The end of the world is here. You're leaving. I have to prepare for a war. There isn't enough time to make this relationship how it should be."

"Damn shame, too." Rhys unhappily said. "Mother and father would've loved to see this day. The day where their sons can finally be together once again."

"Speaking of dad," Kai started, "was he really that bad to you?"

Rhys could almost swear that the scar on his lip hurt when he was asked that. He remembered the day his father gave it to him. The scene replayed in his nightmares most nights to remind him of where he came from and what he is now because of it.

"I always thought he was despicable." Rhys admitted.

"That's not a word I would ever use to describe dad." Kai argued. "He was a great man. He took care of me. He never laid a hand on me other than to make a loving gesture. He helped me control my powers."

"Things usually go better the second time around." Rhys muttered. "At least father's way of raising me actually helped me."

"Oh yeah?" Kai inquired. "How so?"

"He taught me who not to be." Rhys answered. That wasn't the answer Kai was expecting, but it said many things nonetheless. "Still, even I wasn't enough to save my family."

"What were their names?" Kai asked.

"My wife's name was Evelyn." Rhys answered. "We met at the orphanage as kids. My son's name was Leon. Funny how he looked a lot like you when he was a baby."

"You said was." Kai observed. "How did you lose them?"

"I don't like to think that I lost them." Rhys revealed. "I'd rather think that fate had stolen them from me. She died at childbirth, and he died of an illness which no doctors seemed to be able to treat. I've hated fate ever since. Fate always gives you something you won't be happy with and there isn't a damned thing you can do about it. Death and fate. People can cheat their way through life, but if there's one thing people can't cheat-"

"It's death." Kai finished. "I disagree with that. I've technically died..." Kai silently counted under his breath. "One. Two. I've died twice already. The first time was when I was turned into a handsome ice sculpture, and the second was when I was poisoned, but..."

Kai couldn't exactly understand why he came back or even how. He was poisoned by the bartender almost three years ago. Any normal man should've died, but Kai didn't. He had a vision which included his own mother and he came back because his duty wasn't over. To this day, Kai never understood why what happened happened.

Perhaps fate knew that his time was not to come there.

"You can't live your life cheating death whenever you can." Rhys lectured.

"Why not?" Kai asked. "Living is fun. Why would I want to change that?"

"Even the strongest of us fall." Rhys said. "Whatever you think, you're not invincible. There's always a way to go down."

Kai knew that Rhys was referring to him, but in Kai's mind, he was thinking of someone else. Mara. No one is invincible, and there's always a way to go down no matter the circumstances. If this were true, then Mara could be taken down. Kai was counting on that.

A minute passed before they both realized how awkward the current silence was. Although the sky of shadows discouraged any positive talk, the two were brothers yet they were strangers. Rhys was interested in learning more about his brother, and Kai was slightly curious as to who Rhys truly is.

"So, where'd you learn how to use a bow?" Kai asked Rhys.

"The bow? Oh, I found a dusty old bow one day, I don't remember where." Rhys answered. "A weapon with no user is a weapon with no purpose. A weapon with no purpose is a weapon wasted. A weapon wasted is a life lost."

"Or saved." Kai mumbled, not loud enough for Rhys to hear.

"It didn't take long for me to master the art of the archer." Rhys continued. "I'm not much of an up close and personal fighter. I like to handle things from afar where I have time and control. That's why I keep using the bow, getting a new one whenever the previous weapon has lost its usability."

"I would've thought that you would take better care of your stuff." Kai mocked.

"Well, bows don't last very long if you use them to smack people around." Rhys joked.

Kai couldn't help manage a laugh. That made Rhys more confident about the direction of their relationship. At least Kai wouldn't entirely despise him for the rest of their lives.

"And you, brother?" Rhys asked. Kai didn't wince of flinch when Rhys used the b word. "Where did you learn to fight?"

"After banishment, I came across Teranhall Keep where I met the Bandits." Kai answered. "Ever heard of them?"

"Infamous if not fables." Rhys said. "I've never doubted their existence, but they're a lot which I wouldn't want to put down my cards with."

"They're not so different from you." Kai pointed out. "You and they steal to provide."

"That's where the similarities end." Rhys asserted. "The variables are providing for who and the motive and way of the theft."

Before they knew it, the docks of the city were only about fifty feet ahead of them. Only two ships were docked, one being Arendelle's royal, personal ship. Kai had no other choice but to use that ship on Rhys since the other ship was a simple trade ship which was not going to go anywhere anytime soon due to rough sea conditions.

Rhys picked a bad time to leave Arendelle. The tides and waves were larger and more rough. The winds were stronger and more dangerous. Ship travel under an eternal darkness was a poor choice. However, it did not seem impossible. The conditions weren't like a storm, so if a crew and their captain were to work their hardest, travel would go just as planned.

"Let me ask you a question, Kai." Rhys announced. "How far are you willing to go to protect the ones you love?"

"I'd die for them." Kai answered without hesitation. "I'd do what it takes to make sure they get to live another day."

"Without a doubt." Rhys said, as if he already knew the answer to his own question. "I know that if it comes to that, it's what you want. But, it won't ever necessarily be what they want, hm?"

"They don't have a choice." Kai argued. "No one decides what happens to my life but me."

"You treat your life as if it is some replaceable object." Rhys scolded. "As if people can go on and forget without you. You may not care about your fate, but they do. I care as well. Life is precious and you only get one shot. Just... Don't throw it away."

"Throwing away my life and wasting it mean the same thing." Kai said. "So, if my dying action is out of protection, am I wasting my life?"

He didn't want Rhys to lecture him about what and what not to do. As a brother, Rhys thought it was his duty to lead Kai into a better way of thinking, but as a brother, Kai wasn't appreciating how Rhys was doing what he was doing.

Only when they stepped foot on the wooden docks did Kai speak up again.

Kai sighed. "Look, Rhys." He started. "I'm not here to argue. In fact, I need a favor."

"How much is a favor worth in times like these?" Rhys questioned.

"More than you think it can." Kai rebutted. "The fate of the world is at stake here."

Rhys' skeptical look faded, replaced by interest and slight puzzlement.

"Elsa is infatuated with the idea that Mara can be taken down by this mystical sword." Kai said. "She thinks that this sword is all we need to win, but unfortunately, we don't have the sword nor do we know where to start looking. And we have one week to prepare for battle. Without the sword, it'll be a massacre. And if the sword isn't in our hands-"

"I know what will happen." Rhys said. "You don't need to explain it to me. But, can't Elsa just create an army of her own snowmen to fight alongside your men?"

"I fear creating war ready snowmen would take too much out of her." Kai said. "Creating an entire army of them can't be good for her own health, regardless of how powerful she thinks she is."

"But she can do it, though, right?"

"I'm not ruling out that possibility." Kai revealed. "But, no matter how many men we have, Mara will just summon double the amount."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" Rhys asked.

"We need more men." Kai said. "Elsa isn't ready to send out requests since she thinks we can do this on our own, but I'm ready and willing."

"So what? Do you want me to gather an army?"

"Not necessarily." Kai said. "Arendelle has allies across the sea. Allies who are willing to help because either they owe us, or rather me, or because their good friends. I need someone who I can trust to be a courier to send word out to them, and frankly, I trust you."

"Like you said," Rhys recalled, "Mara will just double the amount of men we have."

"She won't be able to do so if she is preoccupied, or rather, distracted." Kai pointed out. "Elsa's Plan A is to charge at Mara with a magic sword in hand. Plan B is to fight her regardless of any help. My Plan B is similar, yet different. You will call upon our allies for aid and hopefully bring them here in a week's time. Elsa and I will lead Arendelle's army against Mara's spawns. We can get her preoccupied so that she won't be able to summon anymore spawns. That's where you come in with our aid and help us sweep the battlefield. Mara is defeated, the sky is back to being blue, and everyone goes home happy."

"Elsa won't appreciate you going behind her back about this." Rhys pointed out.

"I'm not necessarily going behind her back." Kai defended. "I'll tell her about it soon enough, but I just wanted to ensure that we'll have the men we need."

Rhys sighed. He knew that here was no talking down Kai about this. His mind was set, and he seemed to believe that this was a good chance for victory. "Alright," Rhys agreed, "what're you asking me to do?"

Kai smiled and reached into his pocket. He pulled out three letters with the official Arendelle stamp on the red wax that kept each individual letter folded. Kai handed the letters to Rhys who reluctantly took them off of Kai's possession.

"The ship I'm giving you will take you to three places: Teranhall, Corona, and the Southern Isles." Kai informed. "Since Vaylor City isn't that far away from Teranhall Keep, I need you to visit the castle and tell King Lyre what's going on and why we need his help and men. Tell him who you are and give him the letter."

"And if he doesn't believe me or help me?" "He will." Kai said. "He has to. Lyre personally owes me some favors. After your personal affairs at Vaylor City are dealt with, the ship will take you to either The Southern Isles or Corona. Take your pick."

"Are you sure one week is enough time to do this all?" Rhys asked.

"If you work fast, you'll barely have enough time to get to the battle." Kai said. "Now, in Corona, Anna and I are good friends with the king's daughter. If you can, appeal to him with her. She won't be reluctant to help."

"What's her name?" Rhys asked.

"Rapunzel." Kai answered. "And with the Southern Isles... King Ander has allegiance to Arendelle, despite the trouble his brother has caused us. It won't be too hard for him to spare some men."

"This is a daunting task, I won't lie." Rhys said. "Please, Rhys." Kai said. "The fate of the world is in your hands. I need you to do this."

Rhys looked down at the letters and switched the order in his hands. He then folded the letters and put them in his coat pocket. "Consider it done." Rhys said.

Kai smiled and put his hand on Rhys' shoulder. Rhys was glad to see some sort of affection come from Kai.

"I best get going." Rhys said. He then turned to walk away and Kai allowed him to walk a couple of steps before calling his name. Rhys turned back to face Kai.

"Sail safe." Kai ordered.

Rhys nodded. "Just find the sword." Rhys said. "Time is of the utmost importance."

**To be continud in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please comment/review to let me know what you think.

I apologize for the late publish. I had a minor hand injury which discouraged me from writing for a few days so I think I have a good excuse.

The one year anniversary of The Phoenix Trilogy is coming up on Sunday on April 5th! I can't believe it's already been one year since it all started. I was going to do a special celebrating this event, but I don't have any good ideas so, here's the QOTD.

**QOTD: Any ideas on what I should do for a one year anniversary special? It can pretty much be anything like a celebration or breaking the fourth wall.**

Ciao.


	39. The Sword of Light - Part I

**The Sword of Light - Part I**

* * *

"I trust your journey did not end well." Rollo said to Elsa as she approached him from the woods.

Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff walked side-by-side together into the home of the trolls. Each and every troll was up and about, out of their rock forms, doing their daily interactions and chores and such. But, everyone did so with less enthusiasm than they normally would've had. The world wasn't necessarily at its brightest and neither were they.

"What gave it away?" Elsa asked. "The giant black and green sky?"

"None of us could've seen this coming." Rollo admitted as Elsa bent down on a knee before him. Anna sat crossed-legged next to Elsa while Kristoff remained standing, towering over the other three.

They could all hear the commotion between the trolls die down just as soon as Elsa and the others made themselves comfortable in Rollo's presence. Important things were about to be said and exchanged, and the trolls weren't a people to ignore important conversations. Their chatter turned to whispers. Their whispers turned to silence.

Elsa was fine with the trolls hearing what she had to say to Rollo. In fact, she thought it was best for them to eavesdrop. That way they would know what exactly was going on and what exactly she planned to do in order to fix the current predicament the entire world was in.

"I started our journey in hopes of bringing a friend back to us." Elsa recalled. "I was too blind with determination that I couldn't see that this all was apart of a bigger plan. In this blindness... Hell broke loose."

"Your majesty, none of this can be blamed on you." Rollo assured. "The only one who can be blamed for this is the one who pulls the strings. You do not look like the one who pulls the strings."

"Mara." Anna stated. "She's the one who did this."

"Who exactly is this Mara?" Rollo inquired.

"The dark user." Kristoff answered. "Apparently, she did the same to the sky a few thousand years ago but was defeated. This is her second coming, and because no one saw it coming, it was all the more smoother for her."

"She needed my blood to create the shadow." Elsa added on. "She also needed Kai's, her own, and the blood of a man named Deren. She did whatever she did to Kai so that he could get me for my blood to be available for her."

"And she got it." Rollo concluded, needing no further explanation to the sky. He looked back up at the sky to observe the hell four small drops of blood and a little magic could cause. "Were you able to find Pabbie's brother, Arthar, like you originally set out to do?"

"That we did do." Elsa answered. "He didn't exactly warm up to us right away, but it wasn't something a little favor couldn't fix."

"Was he able to help you?" Rollo asked. He was rather skeptical on whether Arthar actually lent out a helping hand seeing as though the sky was black, green, and purple and that there was no sign of Kai in the clearing.

"All he could do for us was to tell us about the prophecy." Kristoff sadly replied.

"It all worked out for Kai in the end." Elsa added. "He got his memories back from the man, Deren."

"This man must be a great asset, then." Rollo assumed.

"I'm pretty sure he tried to kill us more than he tried to help." Anna recalled.

"We don't need to worry about him anymore." Elsa assured everyone. "He's dead."

"By whose hand?" Rollo questioned.

Elsa hesitated to answer. No one would like the answer to her question, no matter how much she wanted to sugarcoat it. She couldn't even lie to Rollo, knowing that Kristoff and Anna both knew the truth. Kai quickly mentioned when he came back, but neither of them wanted to get into full details on what exactly happened. All they knew was that Deren was dead and that Kai had blood on his hands. The only present one who had an idea of the reason for Kai's red hands was Elsa.

The trolls already weren't on amazing terms with Kai. He did, after all, kill Pabbie with his bare hands. Luckily for them, the trolls were an understanding and forgiving race. They weren't ones to hold grudges. Elsa prayed that they would still accept Kai as a friend even if there was a new grave because of him.

"Kai did what he had to do." Elsa asserted to Rollo. "Or at least what he thought he had to do."

"That doesn't mean what he did was the right thing." Rollo pointed out.

"I never said what he did was right." Elsa defended silently. She then got a hold of herself and her emotions and cleared her throat. "Look, the important thing is that Kai is back to his normal self and he won't hurt another innocent person. I swear on my life."

"You just rolled a very dangerous dice." Rollo gravely warned. "Are you sure you want to play this game?"

"Funny." Elsa said without any humor in her. "Mara asked me the same question."

Rollo didn't need much explanation to know what Elsa meant by that. Elsa obviously had just recently taken a gamble with the harbinger of darkness herself. Whether that was completely stupid or clever wasn't up for him to decide. What's done was done, and they had to live with the choice and its consequence and opportunities.

"What exactly was this game of yours?" Rollo asked.

"Mara allowed me to have one week to prepare my men and gather as many as I could to fight her and her spawns in battle." Elsa elaborated.

"Spawns?" Rollo asked. Prior to this, he had never even known creatures called spawns even existed. The very name did not bode well for them. He could just imagine the horrors these spawns could unleash upon the unsuspecting.

"They're humanoid creatures made of darkness." Kristoff explained to Rollo. "Not too tough to take down, but they'll outnumber us."

"By how much?" Rollo asked.

"By however as many Mara wants them to." Elsa answered.

"Then you will be leading men to their deaths." Rollo said.

Elsa had a bad feeling that everyone who said so was right about that. The fate of the world was put into her hands, and her faith was all in some ancient weapon which may or may not still be usable. Perhaps Mara's assault on the castle would've been a kinder death than a straight up battle.

"Elsa." Anna called. "Are you sure you still want to do this? We can always just back out and live a little longer."

"How long?" Kristoff asked Anna. "Before we know it, Mara will just summon more spawns to assault the castle. If not that, we'll all starve to death. There isn't a single kind end to this."

"Not unless we stop her." Elsa argued. "Arthar mentioned that the sky was tied to her life force. If we take her down, the sky will go back to normal." She then turned back to Rollo who was hanging onto every word she was saying. "And that's exactly why we're here to talk to you."

"Do you expect me to snap my fingers and for your problems to be solved?" Rollo asked. "We trolls are a rather peaceful peaceful. Knowledge is our weapon and it never goes beyond that."

"I'm not asking you to take her down." Elsa said. She was originally going to use the word "kill", but she wasn't sure if she was ready to do such an action. Elsa wasn't going to deny that Mara deserved such a fate. However, even Elsa couldn't bring herself to take a life. If it came down to it, she feared that she would be hesitant.

Hesitation was the bane of survival.

"We just need the knowledge you can offer." Kristoff explained for Elsa. "Supposedly, the only weapon that can hurt Mara is a sword of Ludicium which is a sword of light forged to suppress the darkness and yada yada and so-forth."

"The sword is the key to beating Mara." Elsa told Rollo. "I asked for a week of preparations not to prepare my men, but to look for this sword."

"And you came to me in hopes of me having an idea of where this sword is." Rollo finished for her.

Elsa nodded. The trolls were their last hope in finding the sword of light. If they had no clue as to where it is or was, there would be no search. It could be anywhere in the world, and obviously, they didn't have the time to search every corner and every rock. They needed to know the exact location, and hopefully, it would be convenient for them.

"Alas, I cannot tell you what I do not know." Rollo said. "I'm sorry. Frankly, I was unaware of the existence of such an object prior to our conversation."

And like that, hope easily drained away from their poor bodies. If Rollo had no idea where the sword was, surely no other troll in the valley could. Rollo was the leader of the trolls, meaning he should know all and everything that goes around and was passed down to him. If Pabbie knew the location of the sword, surely he would pass that information down to Rollo out of emergency. But, Pabbie didn't.

"We can't just find another solution." Kristoff complained. "We can't just invent a way to beat Mara."

"Then what do you suppose we do?" Anna asked. "Search under every rock in the world?"

"We'll be condemned to death if we don't try." Kristoff argued,

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Anna said, "but aren't we already condemned to death. Life is like a clock which starts at one and ends at twelve. The clock has been moved to eleven. The sword is the only thing that can help us change it back, and with no idea where it is, randomly searching areas for it would be a waste of time."

"We won't have to randomly search." Elsa assured the two. Kristoff, Anna, and Rollo all looked at her with perplexed expressions as if Elsa had no idea what she was talking about. Frankly, it was the opposite. She knew they had a clue, and the clue would prove useful if one of them remembered it.

"Back at Arthar's home-" Elsa said, being interrupted.

"You never did tell me." Rollo started. "Where and how is Arthar?"

"He's..." Elsa didn't want to say dead. She had no idea for sure if that were true. The last she saw of the troll, he was shot into a giant bookshelf by Deren and buried under a pile of broken wood and ancient books. The lack of movement from the pile was fuel for Elsa's fear and doubt of Arthar's survival. Unfortunately for them, his life became rather irrelevant after they got what they needed to know.

"He got hurt the last time I saw him." Elsa told Rollo. "I won't lie... It didn't look good. I don't know if he made it out well or if he even make it out at all."

Elsa seemed to get lost in her thoughts and memories about what had previously happened with Arthar. This came apparent for everyone seeing as how Elsa was staring off onto the ground, not even blinking and in silence.

"Elsa." Anna called. That was enough to make Elsa snap out of it. "You were saying something about Arthar's home."

"Oh, yeah." Elsa remembered. She decided to forget about her little flashback and prayed that the others would forgive her for it. "Back at Arthar's home, he mentioned a clue as to where the sword could be. It rhymed, I know that. I... I forgot what it said."

"It went," Kristoff started, "The Sword of Light can be found where earth touches sky and ground."

Elsa snapped her fingers and pointed them at Kristoff. Anna, on the other hand, looked at Kristoff with a rather perplexed look. He could hardly remember to button up his shirts, much less remember an ancient line such as that. Never before has he put his skills of memorizing to use.

"What?" Kristoff asked Anna, seeing the perplexed look on her face. "I do my best to remember everything that will or already has some importance. Good thing I did, huh?"

"Are you sure that's what it was?" Elsa asked, making sure Kristoff didn't just blurt out some random line.

"I'd bet my life on it." Kristoff confirmed.

"The line is obviously giving us the location of this sword." Rollo explained. "Where the earth touches sky and ground... It's a riddle which should not be too hard to solve."

"It doesn't make sense." Elsa admitted.

"All riddles make sense after you answer it." Rollo pointed out. "I'm sure this riddle requires less thought than most would think."

"The location seems to be incredibly direct." Kristoff said. "What if it is just a cover for where the actual sword is?"

"Arthar mentioned it being made it by his kin." Elsa reminded.

"If that's so, then it is highly likely to be true." Rollo assumed. "Trolls are not ones to tell lies. If they ever thought it necessary for this sword to be found, no doubt, they would find a way to tell future generations."

While the others were transferring thoughts with each other, Anna was busy trying to solve the riddle on her own. It didn't sound too difficult to her, and as always, she was ready to trump any problems that came into her way.

Sky and ground, Anna thought. She figured that whatever touched both realms had to be something natural since the trolls would make it too obvious if it weren't. But, what things did Anna know touch sky and ground? And like that, a lightbulb (figuratively speaking) appeared over Anna's head, and she snapped her fingers.

"A mountain." Anna said.

The others, who paid Anna no attention just a few seconds ago, looked at her.

"I'm sorry?" Elsa said, needed a repetition.

"A mountain." Anna repeated. "They start from the earth and rise up into the air."

"That sounds like a legitimate answer." Rollo complimented. "A mountain would be the only answer."

"Fantastic." Kristoff said. "The sword is at a mountain. It's at one out of a few hundred thousand locations."

"The trolls who wrote this wouldn't have been so vague about the location of the sword." Rollo countered. "Everything one needs to know about the location of the sword would be in that line."

"All we got out of it was that the sword is at a mountain." Elsa stated. "There are only two large mountains in Arendelle, and I haven't seen a sword in either of them."

"It wouldn't be in plain sight." Rollo assured her.

Where ground touches sky, Anna thought to herself. She tried her best to remember where she heard that before, or at least read it. She was sure the phrase had been used before in a quite literal manner. Where ground touches the sky... Where ground touches the sky... And like that, Anna prepared to be useful again.

"I got it." Anna told the others. "We need to take this more literally. Its not just a mountain. It needs to be a mountain which literally touches the sky, which is, of course, the layer of the atmosphere above us. Where the aurora borealis happens. And tell me, which mountain is known to be able to kiss these sky lights?"

"You're saying that the sword is located at Mount Caelum." Kristoff deduced.

Anna nodded, smiled, and crossed her arms. She was proud of herself. Out of all of the smart minds around her, she was the only one who was able to figure the riddle out.

"Arthar did say that the library he lived in was made by trolls a long time ago." Elsa said. "And what business would the trolls have with a library located far away from where they live?"

"You're implying that the library is more than it seems." Kristoff said.

"Of course." Rollo started. "My ancestors didn't build this library out of need for a storage of books. They were trying to cover something up."

"The note about the sword." Elsa recalled. "The books about the first eternal shadow. The information in the books about how to dispel darkness from a body. The clues were right under our noses and we just ignored them."

"You would think Arthar would've told us about the sword being there." Kristoff said.

"I don't think he knew." Elsa said.

"He lived in there for almost thirty years." Kristoff started. "And in thirty years, he didn't find the location of the sword."

"Perhaps he didn't even attempt to try." Rollo suggested. "What reason did Arthar have to seek the fabled sword? He most likely had no clue that it was there in the first place."

"But we know it's there." Anna told Kristoff. "Or at least it's probably there."

"Then I won't doubt it's location." Kristoff said. "But, Mount Caelum is still a fair distance away, and we can't change that."

"That's why, if we act fast," Elsa started, "we can get there in time, find the sword, and get back with just enough time to ready the men for battle. Of course, we'll need to take Sven and a sled."

"We'll be more careful this time." Kristoff assured.

"Then, let's go." Anna suggested. "The clock is ticking."

"I just got here, and you guys are already leaving?" Kai's voice asked from the opening in the forest.

All eyes, including the eyes of the spectating trolls, turned over to Kai who was standing in his own little open circle. Elsa squinted her eyes to see exactly how much Kai had changed and to see if she saw what she was seeing correctly.

Kai had went back to the castle before heading towards the Valley, and he used that time to clean himself up and get in some new attire. His face seemed clean, cleared of all dirt and blood. His few scars were clearly visible. His short, messy, thick hair swept to one side of his face slightly, but there was still quite some hair swept across the opposite side of the forehead.

Instead of wearing his navy blue tailcoat which was his personal uniform, he wore something similar yet with drastic differences. The primary color on his uniform was black now with red decorating the outlines of creases and the bottom of his "tail". The tail of his tailcoat went down to about his mid-calves, compared to the one he wore previously which had the tail go down to his lower thighs. He wore fingerless, leather, brown gloves on both hands which ended mid-forearm. His palms were completely bare of leather for obvious reasons. There was no finger hole for where he was missing his ring finger. Around Kai's neck was a black cloth which was tied around it. Like the cloth he used years before, he could pull it up to cover his mouth. Strapped to his waist was his sword and dagger.

His original pair of clothes which he wore when he arrived in Arendelle were slightly thick, making his figure look bigger than it usually looks. The blue coat he wore many times was a perfect fit, and it was almost tight. His new set of clothes were very much like his blue clothes and felt the same although they looked more aggressive.

"I had to get changed." Kai explained to everyone. "This was the only thing I had that didn't have any big cuts or missing sleeves."

No one desired to speak up immediately as no one saw no need to comment on it. Kai then remembered the main thing he wanted to say, with that also being the main reason why he even bothered to show up.

"Last time I was here," Kai began, "I did something which I regret. In my defense, I wasn't myself. I had no control over my actions. Yet, I remember what I did. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Can you guys give me the kindness of forgiveness."

"I can forgive you." Rollo told Kai. "I do not speak for my kin when I say that, but you have my forgiveness. I cannot, however, say that I will forget what you did. No matter how hard I... No matter how hard we'll try, we cannot forget anytime soon."

Me neither, Kai thought.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Kai said. "Onto business, then."

"We have a location." Kristoff told Kai. "The sword is back at Mount Caelum. If we're to find it anytime soon, we should go immediately."

"And if it's not there?" Kai asked.

"Then, we give up the search and meet Mara in battle nonetheless." Elsa answered.

"It's going to be a slaughter." Kai informed. He refrained from telling the others about his deal with Rhys since he had no desire to be scolded by Elsa anytime soon. He reckoned that the best time to tell her would be when it's most relevant.

"Which is why we can't fail on finding the sword." Elsa replied.

"What of Rhys?" Anna asked, starting a new conversation.

"He's long gone by now." Kai answered. "He has his money. He's headed towards Teranhall, and from there, Vaylor City."

"I hope he finds resolution." Elsa admitted. "And how did it go between you two?"

"About as well as you'd expect from us." Kai answered.

Elsa didn't know whether or not that was a good or bad thing. She feared that it was probably the latter.

"We best get going, then." Kristoff said. "We need to go home to prepare."

With that, he started to walk away from where he was. Anna, realizing that it was probably best to go then and there, followed Kristoff out. Waking past Kai, Kristoff and Anna exited out of the clearing, leaving Kai with Elsa, Rollo, and the other spectating trolls.

Elsa then stood up and walked towards the exit Kristoff and Anna took. As she left, she shot Kai a quick glance before walking past him. That left Kai the last human in the valley who was in full view.

Kai managed a final "I'm sorry" before following the others out.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a comment/review to let me know what you thought.

Sorry for the one week wait. I'm on break and I've been too preoccupied with non-productive things to write a lot.

I'm sorry this chapter was all dialogue and exposition. Yes, they're going back to Mount Caelum. No, I'm not going to spend anymore than one chapter detailing their journey.

Ciao.


	40. The Sword of Light - Part II

**The Sword of Light - Part II**

* * *

Anna swore that if she had to make a trek to another mountain with a socially deprived ice miner, a unsanitary reindeer, a literal ice queen who was a figurative and literal ice queen during their teen years, and a pyromaniac who had unwillingly tried to kill them once or twice, she would get sick at the very mention. At least Anna loved everyone who accompanied her on their journey to Mount Caelum and that made things a little more bearable for her.

Bloom opted to not join the others for this journey. She was certain that they could find they way themselves, and surely, they did. Kristoff kept track of where they walked during their last trek to the mountain, and Kai also still had his map on him. They didn't need Bloom to show them the way. The fairy was too busy being Lena's entertainment to be a guide.

Sven sped through the path in the forest with great haste, knowing that there was absolutely no time to waste. Since the sled (with wheels) couldn't fit anymore than three grown adults, Kristoff, being the biggest one and taking up most of the space, sat on top of Sven as they rushed to their destination. In the sled seat sat Kai, Elsa, and Anna with Elsa sitting in the middle of the three.

The breeze of the rushing wind and the overall cool temperature of the world made Anna clutch her shoulders due to the cold. Even though the dress she wore was a little thicker than her previous outfit, she was still pretty cold. Anna wore another travel dress, her skirt reaching down to her knees. Her arms were covered fully with tight leather gloves at the end of each hand. There was a tiny cape attached to the back of her dress with the cape reaching down only mid-back and covering her shoulders. Her boots were fairly long as they went up to her knees. The dominant color was green with an aqua color decorating the edges of her dress.

Elsa wore clothes that only she could find bearable during their situation. Elsa wore boots that went up to her calves over dark blue leggings. Her skirt went down to her knees as well as Anna's. On top, she wore a light blue corset with lined patterns on it connected to darker blue sleeves that went up to her forearms and were stretched at the end. She wore small shoulder capes on both shoulders that wrapped around her back. Her hair was tied in a bun.

Elsa noticed that Anna had a melancholy expression on her face. As a good sibling should, Elsa decided to inquire about the reason behind the expression.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked Anna. "You don't look very happy. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing major." Anna answered. "It's just... Do you think we were right in leaving Olaf like that?"

"His determination to help never wavers." Kai answered for Elsa. "But, I think his curiosity will be more of a pain than a gift. Besides, he can help the servants take care of Lena."

"I guess." Anna mumbled. "But, he was so determined to go with us again. The way we left him made me feel like a - What's the word? Oh yeah! Scumbag."

"If anyone should feel like a scumbag, it's me." Kai assured. "I'll take the blame for it."

"Who else?" Elsa asked. "You were the one to distract him after all."

* * *

"You guys are going already?" Olaf asked to Kai, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff as they were readying Sven to depart. "Don't forget me!"

"Of course not." Kai said with a smile as he walked to enter the sled. Elsa and Anna were already on. Kristoff had just hopped on Sven. "But first," Kai continued. Kai then pointed upward. "Look at the distraction!"

Olaf turned around and looked up at the dark sky. Kai then motioned for Kristoff and Sven to go by waving his hand in the direction of the exit. Without hesitation, they sped off, leaving a dust trail.

"I don't see a distraction." Olaf said. "All I see is- Oh, I get it now."

* * *

"I'm sure he'll be alright with this." Kai said.

Before they knew it, they sped past the North Mountain. The size of North Mountain was already quite large, but it was smaller than Mount Caelum. Compared to those towering giants known as mountains, they felt like ants. They shouldn't feel insignificant, but compared to other things out there, they were. But, these insignificant creatures were the only ones who could fix the sky.

Anna looked over at Kai. He stared blankly off into the area ahead of them, not necessarily focusing on one thing entirely. He was either deep in thought or had no thoughts at all. The latter was incredibly improbable. With all that was going on, there was no way he had an empty head.

"Kai, are you alright?" Anna asked out of worry.

"Here we are." Kai said, almost in a whisper. "Going off to do another impossible task. Mara is powerful. Probably the most powerful being to ever walk this earth. We're defying a borderline god. No way we all make it out alive."

"We will." Elsa told Kai. "With the sword, we'll-"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Kai interrupted, "but swords are close ranged weapons, right? Do you think Mara will just let you walk up to her, sword in hand, and let you take a swipe? There's going to be a sea of spawns between us and Mara and none of them will be willing to let us pass."

"We won't have to take all of them alone." Elsa assured. "That's why we have an army."

Kai then recalled his deal with Rhys. He prayed that Rhys would do his pat as requested. The lives of countless people depended on reinforcements, and if they had no reinforcements, death will begin collecting. He couldn't tell Elsa about it just yet, though. He didn't want her to get her hopes extremely high.

"Mara can only summon spawns if she concentrates well enough with her staff." Kai reminded. "If she can't concentrate, she can't summon them. Which means she'll have to be kept busy. She's not going to make it easy for us to get to her, but if we fight well enough, we'll be able to make it to Mara, assuming she'll be in the battlefield."

"Right." Elsa nodded. "We'll need a large group of men together to fight our way there."

"No." Kai shot down. "Too many men will cause too much attention. Where do you think she'll send the bulk of her spawns if there is a large group of men coming towards her. A tiny group of two or three will suffice. We'll draw less attention."

"You and me." Elsa said to Kai.

"Just what I was thinking." Kai smirked.

"And me." Anna suggested.

Elsa gave Anna a grave look. Again with the protective sister act.

"I'm going with you guys on that field whether you like it or not." Anna confidently said. "Don't tell me it's too dangerous, because trust me, I know exactly how dangerous it is. But, I'm sick and tired of being forced to observe from the sidelines. I won't stand by and watch everyone fighting to protect and die for the world, knowing I could have contributed."

Elsa didn't then say a word to Anna about that. She continued her stare, but the expression changed to more of an "Are you sure?" look rather than an "Are you crazy?" look.

"Elsa," Kai said, "she's not going to let this go. If this is what she wants, then I suggest you don't try and stop her. Hell, she'll probably go anyway."

Elsa sighed. "If this is what you want, I don't want to be the one to stop you from doing this. I know I can't tell you what to do with your life, and the last time I denied your assistance, you ended up helping the most."

"I'll tell you both this now..." Kai said. "You're going to see a lot of lifeless bodies when the time comes. At first, it will be disgusting. Give it time, and you'll get used to it."

"I don't think I want to get used to it." Anna mumbled.

Kai was miraculously able to hear her, despite the sound of the speeding air. "It's not about what you want." Kai said. "You'll adapt, like I have."

"Is that why it was so easy for you to kill your old friend?" Anna angrily asked.

"Anna!" Elsa angrily exclaimed.

"It's alright." Kai said, surprisingly calmly. He put his hand over Elsa's knee, telling her to stand down. He wasn't angry at Anna as much as he should been. Though, he did believe that it was not her place to judge him so rashly. She wasn't there so she had no idea how things would go down.

"But let me say this, Anna." Kai started. "Have you ever had a friend you could call a brother? A sister, even? I'm sure you have, and you have to admit that it's nice being around them and spending almost every waking second with them. Have you ever made a mistake so severe that it severed this friendship? Don't answer that because I already know your answer. I made a mistake this severe. The consequences were even more so. My best friend lost half of his face, my father basically disowned me, and I was banished from the place I've known to call home for my entire life."

"Needless to say, that hardens a man." Kai continued. "It makes you have thoughts and have morals innocent people would never hold. Not only that, but whenever this friend of mine closed his eyes, he thought of my head on a stake. That's no way to live. Have you ever known someone to wait more than ten years to strike, only because it would hurt the most? Killing me isn't enough for him, no. He destroyed my hometown. He killed my mother. His own father. All of that just to spite me."

"While he's taking many lives, I haven't taken one. When he finally revealed himself to me, I was a fool in thinking I could calm him down. I thought I could use reason to make him stop. But, a man driven by nothing but the deadliest and most hateful of thoughts cannot be reasoned with. He never stopped even after I defeated him. He just kept on trying, and as you know, he almost succeeded."

"Soon after, he thought he was done for. He thought that there was no reason for him to live as his purpose could never be fulfilled. A life with no purpose is a life wasted. All he wanted to do was break me then die, but he failed the first task. Death was all he wanted. A permanent rest. He didn't want to die like a coward using his own hand, no. He wanted me to grow up. Apparently, there is no room on earth for warriors without blood in their hands. I told him I couldn't do. I wouldn't do it. He knew I would say that, so he did the one thing that he thought would break me."

Kai gave a saddened look at Elsa when he said that.

"I saw the next thing happen in two different ways. One, his hands have Elsa's blood. Two, my hands have his. What do you think I chose? He didn't intend on doing it, but he did it. Deren broke me. I made a promise to myself, and he made me break that promise. He won even in death. Do I regret it? Do I regret letting him win? Elsa's still breathing, so what do you think, Anna?"

"Yes, he was my friend. But, he lived a life full and driven by rage, anger, resentment, vengeance. He wanted it all to end, and I gave him the mercy. It was the right thing to do, so I did it. I killed a man who was already dead. You have no idea of what I have to do in order to keep you safe. In order to keep everyone safe. Don't judge me when I have to bloody my hands so that the people I live to protect continue to live so I can protect them. You are my purpose. Elsa is my purpose. Hell, even Kristoff is my purpose."

"I've avenged my mother. Deren's father, everyone from home. Those who perished on the ship he attacked me in. I should feel good about it, but I'm not. Do you think I do? Taking a man's life will never bring me any pleasure, even if you think I'll get used to it. I did what was best, and I don't regret it. Don't damn me for making a decision. You better pray that you will never be put in the situation I was put in, because when it comes down to it, you'll need to be ready to make a choice."

Anna felt bad only after a few seconds of Kai talking her down. It didn't take much for her to regret her words. Even after she said it she knew that she mad a mistake. Now, Kai was playing the guilt trip on her.

She was about to apologize to Kai, but when she slightly opened her lips, she couldn't find her voice. It came out as more of a super silent squeak which no one else heard.

"What's done is done." Elsa said to the two. "It's in the past. No use trying to change it. Nothing will be achieved by talking about it. We don't need this right now. We can't have this. I need you two to come into terms with everything. No arguing. Deal?"

"Deal." Anna silently said.

"Deal." Kai said as he drifted to sleep.

* * *

The ride there was two days at the max. Sven scarcely ever took a break, knowing exactly how dire the situation was. Time was always of the utmost importance. The ride did, however, take a little longer than it should have since they were forced to go around every large obstacle such as chasms and small mountains. But, after one day's ride, Mount Caelum could be seen in the distance.

They all took turns riding on top of Sven. It relieved him to have someone lighter than Kristoff on his back. It made it a little easier for him to pull the sled.

The sled and Sven stopped in front of the open entrance into Arthar's library. Kristoff, who was on Sven at the time, slid off the reindeer. Kai, Elsa, and Anna exited the sled one at a time. Silently, they lined up side by side in front of the door, not knowing what to expect once they entered.

"Something's not right." Elsa stated.

The others turned over to Elsa with skepticism.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked.

"The last time I saw that door, it was closed." Elsa answered.

"Perhaps Deren opened it on the inside when he dragged you guys out." Anna suggested.

"He couldn't have." Kai said. "I know he used one of the pearls Mara gave us to get back to the, shall I say, lair."

"Then Arthar may have opened it." Kristoff said.

"I saw him get shot into a bookcase and wood and paper buried him." Elsa said.

"I did too." Kai added.

"Then he might have survived." Anna hopefully said.

"Only one way to find out." Kai said. With that, he was the first to step forward and walk through the door, into the stone corridor that would eventually lead into the library. Caution was not his strongest suit then but he knew that there was nothing to worry about. There should be no reason anything or anyone would be in there. Unfortunately, Sven had to wait outside once again.

It definitely felt empty as they walked in. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the library. The fires that kept the entire room illuminated were dimmer than they used to be, yet they were still shining brightly. There must've been some enchantment worked on the torches as there was no way they could still be burning for this long. Arthar knew a lot of tricks due to his spare time, and many of those tricks could solve so many problems.

Elsa looked to her right, right when she entered the open spaced library. There was a pile of broken wood and books on the elevated level of the room. She could see Arthar crashing into the bookshelves and being buried under them like it just happened. It felt like it did. Her grief over him never really left. He had helped them, and she had failed to save him.

"This is where it happened." Kai said to no one in particular. "This is where I hurt Elsa. Or at least tried to. I remember it just as well as the memories where I wasn't a crazed maniac."

"It's not fair for you to blame yourself." Elsa told Kai.

"I don't blame myself." Kai replied. "I blame Mara."

"Can we be certain that you'll never be like that again?" Kristoff asked. "I mean... What if she still has a way to get control? If you lose yourself like that again, it's not going to end well for us."

"I have faith in myself." Kai told Kristoff. "A good friend would have faith in me as well. I don't want the line between friend and foe to blur at all between any of us." When Kai said that last line, he looked at Anna for a quick glimpse.

"Arthar could be in there." Elsa distantly said, focusing on the pile. Her statement seemed a little random to the others.

"You girls can look for him." Kai said. "Kristoff and I will look for the sword."

"Nothing in here exactly screams legendary sword." Kristoff pointed out.

"That's why we have to look." Kai reminded. He said that as if Kristoff were a pouty child who never stopped asking the same questions. "I'll take the floor and you can take the walls."

Kristoff did not hesitate to break away from the others. He turned left and started walking towards the line of bookshelves, hoping he could find something that would lead to the sword. There was a possibility of a secret doorway located in between the spaces of each bookshelf so that's where Kristoff decided to focus his search on. He did, however, have doubts that the secret entrance would be there. Arthar lived in the library for more than twenty five years. Surely he would've found a secret doorway on the walls by that time if there was one.

Elsa motioned for Anna to follow her as they headed in the opposite direction from where Kristoff was going. Kai found no point in waiting around so he stepped forward and walked down the short flight of stairs into the open space of the library.

The girls, who had just reached the pile of broken wood, began grabbing pieces and books and threw them to the side. The process would be longer for them since they could only grab two things at a time. The quicker way was to shove all things away but that wasn't worth a splinter.

With eyes on the floor, Kai slowly walked around in lines. He hoped to spot any sign of a secret door or anything of the sorts. Specifically, he was looking for outlines and patterns. That couldn't be too hard seeing how the ground was smooth, flat, and bold.

"Almost there." Anna said as they kept removing things from the pile.

The large pile was getting smaller and smaller. Yet, they found no hint towards the body of a troll. Even after two minutes of "digging", they couldn't find Arthar. Not even his staff, which he had on hand when he was sent flying, was visible. Whether that was hopeful or creepy was debatable. They started digging thinking that they were going to find a body.

At the end, the entire pile was searched through. All books and wood were moved to the side. Yet, as thorough as they were, there was no body. Arthar was no where to be found in the pile.

"He got out of there." Elsa said, relieved and smiling.

"The guy's tougher than I thought." Kristoff said from behind the girls.

He was done with his search of the walls. He, like the others, was incredibly thorough. If there was a hidden door somewhere, Kristoff didn't find it nor did he even find a hint of it existing.

"How's your search going?" Kristoff called to Kai.

"I'm not finding anything." Kai answered. He then looked over at the stone pedestal-table in the middle of the space. Particularly, Kai focused on the base of it. Something then caught his eye. "Not yet anyway..." Kai continued.

He frisked approached the pedestal, not taking his eyes off of the base. At the very edge of one long side of the pedestal was a black line. It looked like a crack in the ground, but no crack could but that straight. It looked like those black lines that separated sidewalk squares. Most would think nothing of it, but Kai knew way better than that. Why would there be an indent in the earth on an unpatterned, flat ground.

Kai realized that the line did not run along the entire side of the pedestal. It started and ended about four inches away from the two corners of the pedestal. He then walked around the table-like pedestal, observing the base. Alas, he could find no other lines, or rather, indents on the ground. That line was too out of place.

The next thing he noticed was that the pedestal did not connect to the ground. It seemed movable even without moving it.

"Kristoff." Kai called. "Get over here, I need your help."

Doubting Kai's speculations would be not very wise. He usually wouldn't go out of his way to waste time, so if he thought he needed Kristoff's help, he probably found something worth looking at. So, Kristoff silently agreed to help Kai out by walking over to Kai's position.

"This thing can be moved." Kai told Kristoff. "On the count of three."

Kai and Kristoff but both of their hands on the top edge of the pedestal, standing next to each other. They readied themselves to push the large stone table, pointing their back heel to the ceiling.

"Two. Three!" Kai said, skipping over number one.

Kristoff and Kai pushed with all their might, grunting and gritting their teeth. Even with the both of them, the push was incredibly strenuous and taking longer than they would've suspected. Pushing any longer would sore them out. But, they made progress. As the table moved a few inches away from where it used to be, the hole below it got larger. It wasn't just any ordinary line that Kai found. It was the edge of a hole.

Believing that the sight of Kristoff and Kai struggling was sad, Elsa and Anna decided to help out. Both girls went on opposite sides of the table, to the left and right of Kristoff and Kai. They both grabbed a corner of the pedestal and placed the other hand on the side. There was no hesitation for the pulling.

As a team, they pushed the pedestal further away from its original position, much quicker than it normally would have taken them. Before they knew it, Kai and Kristoff were standing in front of a square hole in the stone five feet wide and four feet in length. Nothing but blackness could be seen inside of it. The air inside it felt cold.

Kai knelt down, examining the secret way.

"Not exactly a grand entrance." Kai muttered.

"You would've thought Arthar would know about this." Kristoff said.

"It took four of us to move it." Anna pointed out. "If he knew about it, he sure couldn't budge it."

"How deep do you think this goes?" Elsa asked Kai.

Kai flicked his wrist and his hand engulfed in flames. It didn't seem to burn through the leather glove he has on. He then put his hand down into the darkness, illuminating it. They found that there was about a seven foot drop down onto the bottom of the stone hole. There was about five feet of flat stone connected to a stone staircase that led down with the stone ceiling parallel to that.

Kai then dropped down into the hole. He could hear the echo of his foot landing go down the walls were only about four and a half feet apart, so if someone was claustrophobic, they wouldn't have a swell time.

"It's going to be a little tight going down." Kai told the others. "One at a time. Single file."

He then began to descend down the stairs, his hand still ablaze. He could hear the thud of Elsa's feet behind him and her footsteps which followed his own. Kai could hear another person drop down onto the stone, probably Anna, he thought, because the thud was rather light. He proved himself right because the last person to go in was Kristoff with the heaviest landing.

It didn't take long for them to finish walking down the stairs. Although they treated carefully, they walked in a sort of haste. There was no time to waste on getting to the sword, assuming it was even down there. Up, after about twenty seconds of descended, Kai found that the stairs ended and led into a short corridor which opened up to more darkness.

There was something faint in the darkness though. There seemed to be a small, faint light in the inside of the room.

Kai lead the others down the corridor until they reached the end.

Once his foot stepped into the open room, blue lights from all around started to appear as if magic was being worked. He then realized that the blue flames came from torches placed all around the wall. Intrigued, Kai fully stepped into the room, allowing space for the others to do the same.

The room was rather ginormous. The ceiling must've been right under the surface level of the earth. The entire room was in a large, square shape with walls fifty meters long and wide. Blue torches were set on the walls evenly spaced from each other.

"The trolls weren't kidding about the sword being here." Kristoff said, relieved. "You got to love those motherfu-"

"Look!" Anna said, pointing at the end of the room.

On the very opposite side of the room was a pyramid like structure. Its sides were diagonal and looked like stairs. In fact, they _were_ stairs. It was built against the wall, meaning that there were only three sides. Front, left, and right. The very top of the structure was rather wide, but that wasn't the amazing part. On the middle of the top of the pyramid was a small pedestal built and it was about one foot high and one foot wide.

Sticking out of the tiny pedestal was a blade as white as moonlight. The tip of the blade was sticked into the stone with the rest of it exposed. The blade itself looked light enough to be a one handed weapon and with the blade wider than Kai's blade wasn't very wide. It's hilt was white and looked like it was made of marble but it didn't shine as well as the blade did. The hilt was in the shape of a falcon's head. The guard of the sword looked like spread wings.

"Ludicium." Kai announced. "The sword of light."

"Who gets to pull it out of the stone?" Anna asked.

Everyone looked at Elsa, knowing she was the most obvious choice. Elsa started this quest and it would only be fair if she was the one to finish it.

Elsa sighed and approached the sword, walking across the entire room. The others stayed back a few feet but they still allowed themselves to follow Elsa's walk of victory.

"Mara's done for." Anna confidently said.

I guess Rhys' help was unnecessary, Kai thought.

When Elsa finally approached the pyramid, she started her ascent. The others stayed down and looked up as she made her way up the stairs, careful not to fall in her heels.

I can do this, Elsa thought, I can win the world back.

Elsa walked around the sword until she had her back to the wall, facing her family, looking down at them. The handle of the sword was in front of her waist.

"We've come a long way." Anna said.

Elsa smiled. "That, we have."

She then put her hand on the handle of the sword and pulled upwards. Surprisingly, the sword slipped right out as if it was not meant to be put in the stone. It was much lighter than she would've thought it would be, but it didn't bother her much at all.

Before she could start chuckling from accomplishment, the blade of Ludicium turned into white ash.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, leave a comment/review to let me know what you want.

I've made a bad habit of releasing chapters about once a week. I realized that it's my fault since the slower chapters take longer for me to write. I think there will be about two more chapters before we get into the five to eight part climax. Maybe longer, but no shorter than five chapters, hopefully.

I kinda borrowed the "plot device destroyed" thing from the Matrix of Leadership in that god awful, insult to movies that is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I'm getting sick just thinking about that "film", but I thought that part could fit in this story.

Ciao.


	41. The Eve of Battle

**The Eve of Battle**

* * *

Elsa found herself holding nothing but the white handle of what was once the great sword of light itself. The rest of the blade was now nothing but a pile of white ash collected on the ground, making a nice little mountain. All of the light that originated from the sword was now gone. Not even the ash showed a single spec of light.

"What..." Elsa murmured. She shook the handle and flicked her wrist. Nothing happened as if she had expected something to happen from that. She then gripped the handle with both hands and started to shake harder. Alas, there was no point in it. The blade was gone, and so was all the hope in the world.

"This isn't happening." Elsa said. "This cannot be happening! Come on you stupid sword! Work! Please work!" The more she yelled, the harder she shook the blade. She was prepared to throw it on the ground and stop on it if that meant it would bring the blade back. It wouldn't, of course.

"Three thousand years," Kristoff started, "and it turned to dust. What the hell were we expecting?"

"I expected something else." Elsa answered. In an act of desperation, she leaned down to scoop up a handful of white ash. She then let go of the ashes over the sword, but there was nothing to have been accomplished from that. "I expected for it to work. Just... Not this."

Kai started to walk up the pyramid to comfort Elsa over what had just happened. It was incredibly obvious that she was the most torn over the sword's demise over the others. Elsa had bet everything on this sword. Her bets have just been washed down the drain. Her bets have just, in a way, turned to ash.

"I didn't come all the way here for nothing!" Elsa exclaimed. In anger, she used her free hand to blast a beam of ice towards the ceiling. The part of the ceiling it began to freeze over with icy spikes. It would not be wise for anyone to stand under those spikes if they feared for their lives.

"There's nothing we can do." Kai told Elsa as he made his way up. "You need to calm down. We're not going to save the world if we start losing our cool."

"Kai, in a few days, our men are all going to die if we don't have this sword." Elsa said. "And guess what! We don't have the damn sword! What the hell do you think we're going to do?" Elsa was on the verge of tears, and Kai more than well noticed that.

By that point, Kai was already at the top of the steps, standing in front of Elsa. Gently, he took the handle of the once sword of light and slipped it into the leather of his belt for safe keeping. He was cautious when he grabbed the handle just in case it miraculously re-grew a blade. However, they all knew that the probability of that happening was incredibly small.

Kai then took Elsa's hands into his own as a comforting motion.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do." Kai said. "We're going to meet Mara in battle, and I'm going to burn her alive."

"The only way to defeat Mara is with Ludicium." Anna pointed out.

Kai turned his head back and looked down at her. "And has anyone ever attempted to defeat her with other methods?"

The story had said that the sword of light, although it didn't completely destroy Mara, it did destroy the body Mara used as the host of her darkness. The trolls had locked her away in her prison before anyone could actually kill her. But, there was possibility of defeating Mara's physical host with a good old-fashioned beat down. If they could defeat her the way anyone would defeat a normal being, they would be fine.

"Without that strong sword, you'll die before you get anywhere close to her." Kristoff said.

Kai let out a sigh. Kristoff had a point. Kai admitted to himself that he was rather arrogant and did more than he could handle at times. He, of all people, knew that he was not immortal. He knew that he wasn't invincible.

"And don't forget about all of our soldiers and guards." Anna said, not looking at anybody in particular. "They will fight for us. They will die for us. I don't think it's fair for them if we ask them to."

"And I'm certain that, given the option, they'd rather spend their last moments on this world with their loved ones instead of fighting a foe who's nearly invincible." Kristoff said.

"Well, I guess this is about as good of a time as any." Kai said.

When all of their hopes were down, he reckoned that it would be of the best timing to raise them up. No one but Kai knew about his request of Rhys. Kai never found it appropriate to tell them unless it was absolutely necessary, and as it so happens, it was absolutely necessary. They deserved to hear some good news for once.

"For what?" Anna asked.

"Back at Arendelle, before Rhys left," Kai began, "I asked him to pull a few favors for me. I asked him to bring us reinforcements from people who owe us or people who are good friends with us."

"You should've told us." Kristoff said with a scold.

"No, I shouldn't have." Kai argued. "Elsa was so keen on getting the sword and putting all of her faith in it. If I told her before I made the deal, she would've refused. There is no way she would sacrifice any more lives than she already put on the line."

"So you went behind our backs because of a hunch?" Anna asked. "Since when was it for you decide if we need help or not?"

"I obviously have more say in the matter than you do." Kai said, walking down the steps. "I have more authority to make military decisions than you do. If I say we need help, then we need help."

"Without the authorization and consent of the queen?" Kristoff asked. "That's treason."

"Then cut my head off, will you?" Kai taunted. "Maybe you guys should thank me rather than question me. This is going to save us."

"Or put more bodies on the pile." Kristoff muttered, loud enough for Kai to hear.

No one fully realized how silent Elsa was being during the exchange of words. Her eyes weren't even fixated on any of them. She was staring off into the ground with slight anger. But, slight anger could grow so high. It was up to her to prevent it from turning it into something ugly. That was the last thing she wanted to happen.

"Hey, I'm just looking out for all of us." Kai said, walking down the stairs to confront Kristoff. "I'm sure you would do the same."

"I wouldn't go behind everyone's back about it." Kristoff said. "I appreciate what you tried to do, but we're supposed to be a team. We can't have anyone making rash decisions.

"Rash?" Kai repeated. "Asking for reinforcements is rash?"

"You have no idea how many graves you have just dug." Kristoff said. "We show up with a giant army, and Mara will just counter that with a bigger army. Without the sword, each scenario is a lose-lose. If we have the tiniest chance of making out of it alive, then we agree to take that chance together. There can't be any single decisions."

"I did what I had to do." Kai said. "What I thought could save the world. If I hadn't, there would be no way for us to call reinforcements fast enough. What, did I need your permission?" By that point, Kai was standing face to face with Kristoff. Anna, who was scared things might get out of hand, stepped back a bit.

"You're supposed to set an example, Kai." Kristoff said. "We need to handle things smartly, and-"

"Asking for aid was smart!" Kai argued.

"Maybe we didn't need aid!" Kristoff countered. "Elsa didn't think so."

"What do you think she thinks now?" Kai questioned. "The sword is gone, and we don't have much men. We have a chance to fight back, now."

"Do you think Mara cares how many people we have?" Kristoff asked. "She's not going to cower in fear, she's going to shrug and laugh it off!"

"Where's your optimism?" Kai angry inquired.

"It's called realism." Kristoff said. "I'd expect for a Captain of the Guard to have some sense of realism, but you've proven to be nothing but a foolish child hiding under a sword."

"What would that make you?" Kai asked, trying not to smirk. "You would be less than I am since you're about to have a child kick your ass."

"You were supposed to protect us." Kristoff said. "If you turn on me, that'll prove that you're not ready for these responsibilities."

"What?" Kai asked. "You're not going to fight back?"

Kristoff gritted his teeth. "I'm starting to want you to make me."

Both Elsa and Anna knew where this was going to go in a matter of seconds. Elsa, who was previously too shocked to weigh in on the conversation, looked down at the two in horror. Anna stepped forward, ready to get between the two if necessary. She couldn't be in the middle of the fight no matter what happened. Choosing sides would be too painful, no matter who was involved.

Elsa stepped down from the top of the pyramid, eyeing the two cautiously. She was prepared to intervene in case anything went violent, and judging by the looks Kai and Kristoff gave each other, that was likely.

"Enough!" Elsa ordered.

The two boys reluctantly looked up at Elsa.

"We're all on the same team here." Elsa explained.

"Teammates don't slice each other's throats." Anna added.

"Both of you are right." Elsa complimented. She walked in between Kristoff and Kai, put her hands on each of their chests, and gently pushed them apart.

"Kai, you did a good thing by asking for reinforcements." Elsa said. "I should've thought of that. But, Kristoff is right when he said you should've told us. I would've let you, and you of all people should know me well enough to know that." She then darted her head towards Kristoff. "Kristoff, Kai was doing what he thought would help." Elsa continued. "You can't fault him for that."

"I can make peace." Kristoff stated. "Not sure if he can, but I know where I stand."

"I'll stand by your side as long as you won't compromise that." Kai said. "Give me a reason, and I'll-"

"That's enough." Anna said. "From both of you. We can't do this. We'll never get anywhere if we are constantly bickering and threatening each other. This is not what the world needs right now, and it's sure as hell isn't going to fix anything."

"I know, it probably isn't you guys." Anna continued. "It must be the stress from everything. The fate of the world being put into our hands is a big burden to bear, but remember, you don't have to bear it alone. This entire experience is asking more from us than we should give, but we still give. Do you guys want to know why? Because we know we can do it. We know we can beat the odds. Otherwise, there would be no point in anything we're doing."

"Sure, we lost our best hope. That doesn't mean we can't make a difference. Wars were fought without any sword of light, and who's to say that won't stop now? I say we meet Mara in battle, nonetheless. We need to show her what we're really made of. We need to show her that humanity isn't going down without a fight. I know I have no right to ask you guys for your lives. But, bigger things are at stake than just putting your life on the line."

"I know I'm asking for a lot, but we need all the help we can get if we're going to come out of this alive. So, what do you guys say? Can we manage one more fight? Just one last time?" Anna finally asked.

Elsa made her way to Anna, putting her hand over her sister's shoulder, smiling as she did it. She had never really expected for Anna to be the one to come up with a rallying speech such as that. Whether that was enough to convince the soldiers to fight along was up in the air.

"One last time." Elsa repeated.

"Again, we're faced with impossible odds and almost certain death." Kristoff muttered. "Just another week in the family."

"I hope this isn't the last time." Kai said. "I plan on having many other misadventures after this is all over."

"Not on my watch." Elsa told Kai.

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Kai asked everyone. "We have a war to win."

* * *

Two days it took for them to get to Mount Caelum. It took an extra to get back. They were forced to rest for a bit on their way back, seeing as how Sven was exhausted with carrying them. He was, like the others, incredibly disappointed that the plan with the sword was nothing but a dead end.

For some reason, however, they didn't leave the sword behind, despite the fact that it was worthless. There was nothing a broken sword handle could do to help them, yet, it still remained at Kai's side for the journey. There was no good in bringing it along, but there was no good in leaving it there to rot like it has for the past few thousand years. If it came down to it, the handle wouldn't be that bad of a projectile.

Showing the sword handle was also the only necessary thing to do when they returned to Arendelle. When the guards saw Sven ride in with the others on the sled, the first thing Kai did was raise the handle and shake his head. No guard nor servant needed any elaboration on whether their journey was a success. In a way, it was a success. They realized they needed to fight their own battles with what they have and it what was used before.

The sky was still black, green, and purple, and it was impossible to tell what time of day it is. But, seeing as how Kai's sleep schedule has remained normal, he figured that it was about the afternoon. There was two days left to prepare for battle, and so far, there did not seem to be any sign of coming reinforcements. Whether that meant that Rhys' ship did not make it or if the monarchs refused to help or if Rhys didn't follow through was all up to debate.

"How many men do we have for battle?" Kai asked a vigilant guard in the courtyard.

"We have one hundred castle guards rotated daily." The guard answered. "We have twice as many reserved soldiers who have taken vows but have never fought a battle in their lifetimes."

"Three hundred..." Kai muttered. Three hundred men who are sworn to protect but have never needed to go into action. That would explain the deaths of the few men during Mara's assault on Arendelle. They had no idea what or who they were fighting, and they were inexperienced.

"Aye." The guard confirmed. "We're not famous for our armies, Captain."

"How many civilians do we have in the city?" Kai asked the guard.

"Five hundred at the least." The guard answered.

"I need a number." Kai stated. "I can't have a guess."

"My apologies, Captain." The guard said. "Were it that I were more accurate, I would tell you the number you desire."

"That's fine." Kai assured. "I can work with five hundred. And you'd say about half this population is men?"

"More or less." The guard confirmed.

"That will put us at five hundred and fifty fighters." Kai said.

"No." Elsa demanded from behind Kai and the guard. She had seemingly overheard their conversation when helping Sven unhook from his sled. She walked over to Kai and the guard with either anger or worry in her eyes.

"We can't force civilians to fight." Elsa told Kai. "You also forgot to mention that a good number of these male civilians are children. As queen, I forbid any forced involvement for those who are not sworn in our service."

"We need more fighters." Kai reminded her.

"Which is why I will only take volunteers." Elsa finally stated.

"Your majesty," the guard started, "with all do respect, I'm not sure if any of the guards are happy with being forced into impossible odds. Many will look for excuses to not join the battle."

"I'll talk to them." Kai replied. "I'll talk to all who have doubts. No, I'll talk to all the fighters. Send the word out in the city that all men who want to volunteer for this battle will meet in the courtyard in three hours. We'll hold a meeting, mandatory, might I add, to sworn guards and reserved soldiers."

"Kai, we need all the people who can volunteer." Elsa said. "We can't just limit this to men."

Kai sighed and nodded. All his life, he was told that women were not trained for war. They weren't fit for it. Kai was proven time and time again that that was not true, but he had yet to see a woman coming home to her husband from war. There was no way of knowing if any of them would agree, but he needed everyone he could get, and if their convictions were as strong as anyone else's, then they were just as worthy to fight as those who have fought for centuries.

"Any and all able bodies may volunteer." Kai said. "No children. No young teenagers. Got it?"

"I'll get the word out." The guard nodded. "Three hours. Volunteers."

"Don't keep me waiting." Kai told the guard.

The guard then bowed and walked away with his orders.

* * *

The amount of men gathered in the courtyard was almost problematic. There was no spare space to add any extra people. Everyone barely had a foot of space apart from others. The diversity among the gatherers was also very impressive with there being a mix of guards and civilians of both genders. The reserved soldiers could've passed off as civilians as well.

There were so many people that they had to fill the bridge beyond the gates which were left open for all to hear. Even then it didn't end at the gates. People were gathering in the plaza that connects to the bridge for the faintest sound of Kai's voice.

With so much people, the silence among them was astonishing. The loudest thing that could be heard were faint whispers among some. Kai had yet to show up and tell everyone what the deal was.

Instead of being out there at that moment, Kai was inside Elsa's study with Elsa herself, Anna, Kristoff, and Lena. Olaf was also allowed a spot inside with them. Anna and Kristoff decided that they would hear Kai from inside the study, knowing that it would not be right for them to take up space outside. Olaf even promised to keep silent.

Elsa was busy making sure every detail on Kai was flawless. She didn't want his clothes to look worse than they should be out there.

"Ready to do this?" Elsa asked.

"I've been making morale raising speeches when I was in diapers." Kai joked. In reality, this was a first in his life. "I think I can handle this."

"Uh-huh." Elsa slowly said, not entirely trusting him. "I'll be right there, so in case you mess up, I'll be the savior. Just don't rely on me our there, okay?"

"Will do." Kai agreed. He then looked at the double doors that led to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. Taking a deep breath, Kai approached the doors with Elsa right next to him. He then opened both, greeted by the horde of men and women looking up at him.

"Allies." Kai started. "Friends. We find ourselves in the world's darkest days, when everything humanity has fought for and accomplished would all be in vain if Mara, the enemy, gets what she wants. Taking away our sky was not an act of war. It was an act towards human extinction. The extinction of all we hold dear in the world, not just ourselves."

Kai made sure he spoke loudly. Loud enough for even those past the bridge could hear.

"We know who the enemy is, and what they're capable of." Kai continued. "When we meet Mara in the battlefield, there will be an army of the devil's children to meet us. These spawns may not look like much, but do not underestimate them. Do not underestimate Mara. She expects her army to be enough to put us down and to send us crying home, but I say no! Each man who opposes them with swords are worth ten thousand of those spawns."

There was a roar of cheer from the crowd. When Kai put his hand up, they silenced.

"Your queen has put much faith into the fabled weapon known as Ludicium, the Sword of Light." Kai informed. He then took the handle out of his waist belt and put it in the air for all to gaze. "Unfortunately, the sword has long passed its time and is reduced to nothing but a cold reminder of what it once was. But, battles are not won by legends and myths, they are won by men! Won by women as well! We have both, and I intend to use everything we have to kick Mara's ass to hell where she came from."

A roar of cheer followed.

"The world may be nearing its end if we don't put a stop to it." Kai continued. "If we fail, others may not want to try to attempt to succeed us, but that's not going to happen. We will fight. We will win. When the ordeal with Mara and her darkness goes down into the history books, it will be written that the brave men and women of Arendelle were the ones to put an end to the horrors. It will be us to have saved the world. I don't want to die without going down in history."

Elsa smiled hearing the crowd cheer for Kai.

"We don't have to be alone in this." Kai said. "I have called upon our allies from The Southern Isles, Teranhall, and Corona to fight with us if they do so desire. They will not let their friends in Arendelle rot. Our combined strength will be too much for Mara to handle. To ensure that, we need all the men we can get. Are you still with me?"

The crowd cheered and raised their fists in the air.

"I know what I ask of you all is a lot." Kai said. "I have respect for your lives and should think I have no say in how you should use it. If any of you, sworn protectors or civilians alike, would like to back down, I understand. There will be no ill will. You probably fear for your life. But, let me ask you this. How would you rather die? Fighting for the fate of the world, the destruction of a tyrant, and for the glory of Arendelle with me, Kai Yeager, Captain of the Guard of Arendelle, and your leader, Queen Elsa? Or in a barricaded home, waiting for the spawns or starvation to make you greet death."

Kai heard a mix of "Fighting" and "With you" in the crowd.

"Will any of you sit here and wait for death from suffering?" Kai asked the crowd.

There was a roar and a resounding "No!" in the crowd.

"Will you fight with me in glorious battle as the Earth's best resistance?"

"Yes!" The crowd roared.

"Will you help me bring back the light?!" Kai asked.

"Yes!"

"The world is depending on us to take back what's ours." Kai continued. "We will not forsake everything we have built because of something invisible known as fear. Will you help me bring back the light?"

There was a response of "Yes!" and "Hoorah!".

"There is an army of demons from shadow out there to meet you." Kai reminded. "Do not show any mercy as they won't do the same for you. Will you help me bring back the light?"

"Yes!" "Hoorah!" "Of course!" "Hear hear!" "To the end!"

"Don't think we're alone in the struggle." Kai said. "We don't have to be. The world is supporting us, even if you don't hear it with your ears. Teranhall, Corona, and the Southern Isles will stand with us. It may not sound like a lot. We may be all that we have, but we're all that's needed!"

The positive roars continued to swallow Kai.

"Now, tell me!" Kai yelled, and finalized. "Will you help me bring back the light?!"

The sounds of approval and praise almost deafened him. It was overwhelming. Even Elsa, who was standing right next to him, was raising her hands in the air, cheering along.

"We have two days to prepare." Kai said. "Learn how to use weapons and master the art. There are some spawns who need killing."

* * *

Elsa wasn't entirely sure that it was night, but judging by the fact that everyone in the castle was fast asleep, enjoying the first peaceful night in a long time, it was probably around night time.

Of course, Kai wasn't sleeping. Elsa had a feeling that he wasn't sleeping because of everything that had just happened. There was a lot of stress on Kai's shoulders, and the fact that he was not in his bedroom like he should've been just confirmed that. Elsa didn't need to check everywhere in the castle to know where he was, though. She went to the second most possible place.

Elsa opened the door to her study and walked inside. There, she found Kai sitting at her desk with his feet propped up over the table. He looked like he had the handle of Ludicium in his hand, dancing it around his fingers.

"Thought I'd find you up here." Elsa told Kai.

"I was just examining the handle." Kai revealed. "It's weird. Three thousand years and it stands upright on the pedestal. But, right when you touch it, it turns into ash. It doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not, Kai." Elsa said. She walked over to the sofa that was in her study and took a seat. "The sword is gone. We now put all of our faith in the people who want to protect the world. And they have put their faith in you."

"Not sure if that's a good or bad investment." Kai silently said.

"We never really had time to talk, did we?" Elsa said.

"With all that's happened, _we _weren't really a priority." Kai agreed. "But, when the timer starts going down, I guess we better cherish these moments while they still last." Kai put his handle down on the table which was surprisingly empty for a queen's desk.

"Kai, be honest with me." Elsa requested. "How do you think this will end?"

"Honestly, I'm thinking it can go either way." Kai admitted. "If we do, miraculously, manage to beat Mara, there will be a lot of bodies to bury." Kai stood up from the chair and walked over to Elsa, taking a seat right next to her. "I'm not sure that it will be worth it."

"No one ever thinks the lost of lives is worth it." Elsa reminded. "We just have to live with what has happened, remember those who we have lost, and hope that their deaths were not in vain."

"All of our deaths would be in vain if the sky blue again." Kai said.

"But, you do realize that there is only one way for us to win?" Elsa inquired.

"The eternal darkness is tied to Mara's life force." Kai recalled. "If she dies, so does the darkness. Let's hope there are more ways to kill her than a stupid sword."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Elsa said. She really didn't want to think about anymore killing. It didn't feel right with her, seeing as how she is usually a non-violent queen.

"You know Anna and Kristoff want to fight." Kai informed. "Sure you going to let them?"

"I have no right in telling them how to spend their lives." Elsa said. "If they want to fight, they will deal with the burdens... But, I don't want to face the consequences."

Kai put his hand on Elsa's knee. "You can protect her if you want." Kai reminded. "Let me take a shot at Mara."

"I won't let you do that alone." Elsa said. "Plus, I have unfinished business with her."

"Get in line." Kai said. "We shouldn't devote our final days on her, though. There are more important things to me."

Elsa kissed Kai's cheek. "You're not usually this much of a flatterer." Elsa smiled.

"I was talking about honing my fire." Kai joked.

Elsa couldn't help but manage a laugh. She knew for a fact that Kai was kidding. For that, she rested her head against his shoulder.

"I've never really done anything like this before." Kai said. "I mean... I've been in fights, but never any big ones. How do you prepare for something this drastic? Emotionally, I mean."

"The ones who have made sacrifices," Elsa answered, "the ones who made the hard choices are the ones most prepared for this. I know what you've been through, Kai. You're ready for this. I'm not sure everyone else is as hardened for battle as you are."

"That's good." Kai said. "Then they've lived happier lives than mine. Not saying what I've lived wasn't happy."

Kai locked his fingers with Elsa's.

"Incredibly how, even with the world going to hell, we still manage to find joy in it." Kai said.

"You're the one who taught me how to make the best out of a bad situation." Elsa said.

"Carry that piece of advice to the grave and you'll die with nothing but a history of smiles." Kai assured. "I just hope we don't do anything unfortunate like, I don't know, die."

"Let's not think about that." Elsa told Kai. The thought of one of them losing the other hurt. "Let's talk about something else."

"Like what?"

"Family, maybe?" Elsa suggested. "How's having a brother?"

"As a kid, I always wished I had a brother." Kai recalled. "I didn't think Deren counted back then. My parents should've told me the truth. No doubt they wanted to take the information about Rhys to the grave. As I grew older, I taught myself to not get attached to anything nor to wish for something I didn't tell have. Pit would make losing them so much more painful. I had to learn the hard way."

"I can't imagine." Elsa said. "Are you going to make it work with Rhys?"

"I didn't need a brother then, and I don't need one now." Kai said.

"It's more of a matter of what you want, not need." Elsa said. "Trust me, you'll want someone like Rhys."

"Why is that?" Kai inquired.

"It gives you something else to love." Elsa answered. "It gives you a reason to keep on playing the game of life."

"The game is cruel." Kai poured. "It will always take away, regardless. No matter how much you love someone, in the end, they will pass, and so will you. It's the cycle of life. It's a game no one can win."

"The game will never be fair." Elsa said. "But, that's the beauty and horror of love. Everyone goes, but it's up to us to make sure they enjoyed every year they have. Like you taught me: Make the best out of a bad situation. We make the best of everything."

Kai let out a laugh. "I guess you're right." He admitted. "If you think it best, I'll learn what his favorite color is. That's a start, right?"

"As good as a start I'm getting from you tonight." Elsa said. "It's as important to make new memories as it is to keep the old ones."

"The older adventures seem like bliss compared to this." Kai recalled. "Saving a princess from a crazy madman bent on making his citizens pay. Rescuing a bunch of kidnapped dignitaries from a couple who despise all who have better than them."

"I wasn't there a lot for that one." Elsa pointed out. "Oh, don't forget the one where Anna goes to find me in hopes of unfreezing the kingdom."

"Wasn't there for that one." Kai reminded.

"Hm." Elsa thought and said. "Now that I think about it, I really wasn't on that adventure."

"I'd still trade our current predicament for those ones any day." Kai said.

"Yeah." Elsa sighed. "We should have been married by now." She sadly reminded.

"Yeah." Kai confirmed. "Maybe if we make it out of this, we can try again. I'm going to be honest and tell you that I wasn't overly excited over the idea of being nailed down for the rest of my life."

"You make marriage sound like prison." Elsa chuckled.

"For some, it is." Kai pointed out. "What do you think our marriage life would be like?"

"Hopefully, it won't be anything too different than what we had." Elsa answered. "Only that I'll be wearing a gold ring on my finger and you..."

She then just remembered that Kai had no ring finger.

"I'll find a place for it." Kai assured. "I do have nine more fingers, and it's not like I'm going to lose a hand anytime soon."

Elsa responded by laughing.

"Maybe we'll have our own little kids running around the castle." Kai said.

"Kids?" Elsa asked, emphasizing the "s" that made the word plural. "Let's try to get one right before we get more."

"Agreed." Kai said, smiling. Elsa closed her eyes in his comfort.

"You sure you're ready to finally settle down?" Elsa asked. "No more crazy adventures?"

"No promises." Kai told her. "But right now, there's no place I'd rather be."

Elsa heard a ding in her head. That sentence set her off. She then stopped leaning her head against his shoulder, turned his head towards her, and leaned him in for a kiss. That caught Kai by surprise, but he wasn't complaining.

"I love you, Kai Yeager." Elsa told Kai, breaking away momentarily.

"I love you too, princess." Kai responded.

"Show me..." Elsa requested.

The first thing Kai did after Elsa said that was closing and locking the door.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please write a review/comment to let me know what you think.

This chapter was fairly long compared to other ones, so hooray for that. The next chapter will be the final chapter before the climax and it's going to feature a character you haven't heard from in a few chapters. Oh yeah, that final scene with Kai and Elsa is implying exactly what you guys were probably thinking when he closed the door. I had to keep this rated T so I couldn't go further.

Ciao.


	42. The Messenger

**The Messenger**

* * *

"You have come at a very bad time, sir." King Lyre of Teranhall said to his unsuspecting guest who was currently on one knee.

Lyre sat in his stone throne in his castle's great hall. Most castles in kingdoms did not have any thrones or towers or things of the sort as they were all modernized. Still, Lyre's castle was keeping to the traditional ways of castles being made of stone and the temperature inside being fairly cold every day. The cold weather under the sky wasn't at all helping.

The throne room was rather vacant since Lyre wasn't overly fond on a large Kingsguard. There were only three guards in the room: two were guarding the great door and the other standing next to King Lyre himself. With the addition of the King and his guest, there was a total of five people in the room.

Even though being King meant he would have to look the part, Lyre wore simple brown leather with extra padding over his chest. He didn't so much as wear a cape to signify his royalty. Also, he was now sporting a white beard to go along with his white hair.

"My apologies, your majesty." The guest said. "Were that my timing could be any better, I assure you, I would've given you the luxury. Alas, fate has not blessed us with such masterful timing, and I have come to you when I need you most urgently."

"Your words are incredibly sophisticated considering." Lyre complimented. "I'll lend you my ear. Speak, now. Who are you?"

"My name is Rhys Date Yeager." The guest answered. "You do not know me, nor do I have any personal encounter with you, your majesty. Yet, I believe we are close to someone who can put us at an acquaintance."

"And who may that be?" Lyre asked, intrigued.

"Kai Yeager." Rhys answered. "I'm told you're well acquainted with the man."

Lyre almost rolled his eyes. If Kai was involved, it couldn't have been good. The fire user was a magnet for trouble, and Lyre could personally vouch and confirm that as fact. That didn't make Lyre despise Kai at all, though. Kai was the closest thing he had for a son. Sure, the two were at odds and ends a few years back, but they put that struggle in the past.

"You both share a last name." Lyre realized. "Surely more than a coincidence, hm?"

"The eyes of your mind are still sharp." Rhys complimented. "He and I are bound by blood, sharing a father and mother."

"Never even knew Kai had a brother." Lyre said.

"I get that a lot." Rhys muttered.

"If what you say is true, then why hasn't he ever mentioned you, Rhys?" The kimg asked.

"He didn't know about me." Rhys answered. "Like him, I was driven away from my home on my own terms. He was only a baby when that happened: too young to have grown his first tooth much less remember my face."

"But words alone are not very reliable these days." Lyre said. "I can easily go up to anyone, even a king, and say that I'm brothers with the king of the United States."

"Pretty sure they have something called a president." Rhys informed.

"Whatever." Lyre said. "Anyway, a fool wouldn't come in her without authentication for the claim."

"If I were a fool, I would have done the opposite." Rhys said. "I am no fool. I have your authentication." Rhys pulled out the three letters from inside his coat pocket. He shuffled them until he found the one marked "Teranhall". He isolated that letter from the rest and put the others back in his pocket.

Stepping up off the ground, Rhys approached the king with the letter raised out in front of him. Lyre didn't hesitate to remove the letter from Rhys' possession. Opening it up immediately, he took a read.

_Dear King Lyre,_

_I'm going to cut to the chase and skip the greetings. You know me too well enough for that. As you may have noticed, the world is screwed up. I'll let my brother, Rhys, do the explaining as to what the hell is going on exactly since I need to write two more of these. I know, I was surprised too when I found out I had a brother. _

_Arendelle has taken a grave gamble, and we're facing an army of monsters made out of literal darkness. They will outnumber us and we need all the help we can get. So, I ask you as a friend... And as a man who owes me one, to help us out. I need as many men as you can spare to fight alongside Arendelle in an upcoming battle. _

_I've also asked Corona and the Southern Isles for help, so don't think we're doing this alone. _

_Kai_

Lyre put the letter down on his lap.

"Well, that's his handwriting." Lyre confirmed. "And it does sound like Kai. I know how unprofessional he usually is."

"And is that worthy enough authentication?" Rhys asked.

"It will suffice enough for me to believe you." Lyre confirmed. "Kai mentioned that you would explain all that is happening. Here's your chance to win me over."

"Is the request not enough?" Rhys questioned. "We're in trouble, and we need help."

"I don't remember you ever mentioning swearing any fealty to Arendelle." Lyre stated.

"I don't have any fealty to Arendelle, nor do I owe them." Rhys pointed out. "I owe my brother, and where his loyalties and interests lie, so may mine. Listen, your majesty. There is a woman who goes by the name of Mara and she has the ability to control darkness itself. She used the blood of elementals to create an eternal darkness over the entire world, and she plans on wiping out the human race entirely. If we don't die of starvation, then her spawns would surely get us."

"Spawns..." Lyre muttered. "Kai mentioned them in the letter. What are they exactly?"

"Demons." Rhys answered. "Humanoids made of darkness itself. They're fairly easy to combat and not very hard to kill at all, but their numbers is what concerns us. Their possible numbers is exactly why Kai asked me to send for reinforcements."

"And how much men is he asking for?" The King of Corona asked Rhys.

Rhys found himself facing back and forth in front of the throne of Rapunzel's father. His throne and throne room was much more decorative and festive than Lyre's throne. Banners of multiple colors were hung from the ceiling. Gold statues and portraits and paintings hung from the walls. It was undoubtedly a much more pretty sight than Lyre's throne which was all grey.

To the left of the king, his daughter, Rapunzel stood, wearing a dress fit for a princess, and to his right sat his son-in-law, Eugene, once known as Flynn Rider. Rhys had just finished explaining the situation to them.

"Kai doesn't require a certain amount." Rhys answered. "All he asks for is all the men you can spare. Your entire military would be unnecessary."

"I'm told you came here to Corona from Teranhall, yes?" The king asked. "Why delay to Teranhall?"

"Kai asked me to ask for support from three kingdoms, Teranhall being the closest." Rhys obliged. "King Lyre felt obliged to help and sent three full ships of men with me. He even personally volunteered to join me. I didn't think sending them straight to Arendelle was necessary yet. If one kingdom is willing to aid Arendelle in this struggle, surely you would take them as an example."

The king put his fingers on his chin and started to stroke his beard in thought.

"Dad," Rapunzel started, "like the letter said, and like Rhys said, the only way we can get the sky back to its normal self is if Mara is defeated, and if Arendelle is going to do just that, they'll need all the help we can get."

"It's simple, sir." Eugene added. "We just need to send men with Rhys and they'll be on their way to stop a crazy overlord who has all the power in the world."

"Now, when you say it, you make it sound easy." The king uncomfortably said. He then looked back at Rhys, ignoring Eugene's playful words. "If I help you, what's in it for the good of Corona."

"The mere survival of Corona should be a prize in itself." Rhys said. "I own no say over Arendelle's promised prizes, but I'm sure Queen Elsa will do her best to make sure you're well thanked for your generosity."

"Dad, we can't just abandon Kai and the others to fight this battle by herself." Rapunzel pleaded. "If it wasn't for Kai and Anna, you wouldn't be here to make this choice. They're my friends, and I owe them."

"Rapunzel, this is war we're talking about." The king frowned. "Nothing is going to be happy in colorful. I can't just send men to their possible deaths just because you owe a friend a favor."

Rapunzel then shot a look at Eugene, neither Rhys nor the king could tell what it was about. But, Eugene seemed to understand it as his face soon turned to worry. He motioned with his hands for her to stop, but Rapunzel seemed to have determination in her eyes. Either she was going to do something very brave, or very stupid. It was funny how those two often coincide.

"Dad, I don't care if you send an army or not," Rapunzel boldly stated, "I'm going with Rhys. I'm going to help my friends and you can't control me."

"Rapunzel, I-" The king was cut off before he could finish.

"I'm going too." Eugene offered. "Someone has to look after you." He said with a smirk towards Rapunzel.

"Funny." Rapunzel said. "I thought I was going to babysit you instead."

"You two cannot be serious." The king scoffed. "Do you have any idea how bad this sounds? An unlimited army of darkness at this Mara's disposal, and you two are willing to stand fighting to the death?"

"Our friends are going to fight." Rapunzel argued. "Kai, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Sven... They're all willing to fight until death. I'm not going to let them fight and die alone with them thinking no one wanted to back them up."

"They'd do the same for us." Eugene told his father-in-law. He had to be careful with his words. Like all father-in-laws, they hate their daughter's husbands in a loving kind of way as crazy as that sounded. Eugene didn't want to start cutting their family bond, but he didn't want to leave his friends either. He chose the lesser of the two evils.

"Plus, if King Lyre of Teranhall is confident enough to help us out, surely you would too." Rhys added. "He truly believes that a combined force can win, and if Arendelle has the combined forces of Teranhall, Corona, and the Southern Isles, then there's no way we can lose. We can't just back down on this."

"He has a point." Rapunzel said to her father. "They'll take anything they can get, as little as that may be. They already have two more people added to their army. However many more is up to you, dad."

Rapunzel then stepped in front of her father, leaving his side. She then gave him the biggest, widest puppy-dog eyes stare she had ever attempted to give to another human being. It was more potent than Eugene's smolder.

"Dad." Rapunzel started. "This is about more than our safety. It's about the world. We need to help save it. They need our help. Please, if you're not doing this for them, do this for me."

"What say you?" Rhys asked the king.

"I'll need a bit more convincing than that if I am to risk the lives of the men you wish to possess." King Ander said. He, and he alone with the counsel of his brothers, ruled the Southern Isles. Ander was doing his best to adjust to the role after his father's untimely death at the hands of Cade and because of the mind of Hans.

The eldest brother of the Westerguard family had two years to get used to the role of monarchy and he had to admit that he liked the life of a prince better than the life of a king. There were too many hard decisions one had to make as a ruler, and there would always be those who did not agree with those decisions.

"You've made your identity and purpose clear." Ander told Rhys. "But, I need more details and probable results if I'm going to stick my neck out for you."

Rhys, who had been kneeling most of that time, stood up on his own command.

The throne room was not as grand as Corona's, and it was lacking decoration. Practical was the word that describes the room. There was nothing too fancy anywhere with scarcely any paintings which were all just portraits of past kings. Although it wasn't as festive as Corona or Arendelle, it still differed from Teranhall's throne room. There were no stone walls or floors. The wall was colored in bold colors, but they weren't incredibly bright.

Standing next to Ander as his personal advisor was Christian, the second eldest in the Westerguard family and the wisest amongst them. He might very well be the wisest man in the entire kingdom, although he was incredibly young.

"Nothing can be a certainty." Rhys sadly stated. "But, the kingdoms of Teranhall and Corona have already agreed to ally themselves with Arendelle, each sending a couple of ships filled with fighters. King Lyre of Teranhall and Princess Rapunzel and her husband from Corona have personally volunteered to aid us. This allows us to have a better chance at winning."

"The man has a point." Christian muttered to Ander who was sitting on his thrown in an almost unprofessional way.

"Kai must have guts to just blandly asked for support." Ander said. "Why us specifically?"

"Well, it is known that the Southern Isles possesses the most powerful military force in the kingdoms." Rhys answered.

"I'm sure Kai had other things in mind when he asked for my help." Ander said.

"Perhaps he believes we owe him." Christian told Ander. "You did threaten to destroy their entire kingdom after all."

"Perhaps." Ander said. "But that's an old wound and a well healed one."

"So you're refusing to help?" Rhys asked, needing clarification.

"No." Ander clarified. "Not yet anyway. I need to know what the Southern Isles gets as a benefit from this. I don't want to just sacrifice lives without them contributing to the advancement of my kingdom."

"When the last time you stepped outside?" Rhys asked, almost furiously. "Are you that oblivious to the chaos going around you. This fight isn't about winning a war, it's about getting to Mara. If we can finish her off, the sky will revert back to what we once loved. To do this, we need all the men we can get, and you have the most and the best. What do you get out of this? Not the advancement of your kingdom, but the mere survival of your kingdom and many more out there."

"He has a way with words." Christian complimented.

"Kai mentioned the spawns in his letter." Ander recalled. "I don't think these creatures are things that are recruited and sent to serve. Where do they come from exactly?"

"Mara boasts that they may appear anywhere under the darkness as long as she wants them to." Rhys answered. "They're bond to her will, and her will is their actions."

"Then what's stopping Mara from making her spawns appear right here in the Southern Isles?" Ander inquired. "If she's as powerful as that, surely she wouldn't delay to take any kingdoms out."

"She thinks she is toying with us, your majesty." Rhys said. "She's allowing us to have our battle as her own demented way of entertainment. Her belief lies in her spawns destroying all of our forces."

"If she's confident enough to believe that she can win and even letting us have a chance at her, then what reason do I have to offer my aid?" Ander asked. "There is still the high chance that she will do just as she predicts she will, and that we will utterly fail. Mara seems to have an unlimited army, so what's the point of throwing in more men?"

"The woman underestimates us." Rhys said. "She underestimates humanity and our will to survive and thrive. She may outnumber us, aye, but her spawns are weak. One man may take on a thousand spawns before he is taken down."

"I doubt she'll just give up the fight if we do seem to be winning." Ander pointed out. "I want to help you out, Rhys Yeager, I truly do. But, I need to look out for what is best, and frankly, I don't think sending my men with you is wisest."

"So what?" Rhys angrily asked. "You'll just condemn us all to death."

"You make it sound like I'm a devil." Ander said. "The way Mara is described shows her as an unbeatable force. What can I do against a practical god? I'd rather have my men with me to defend the Southern Isles."

"For how long, hm?" Rhys inquired. "The only reason Mara didn't strike the rest of the world is because of her scheduled battle. If the men of Arendelle, Corona, and Teranhall are all defeated, she won't hesitate to exact her revenge on the world. And, I promise you that it'll be slow. She won't use her spawns to kill you, oh no, she will use them to harass. To taunt. To threaten. You will all starve to death while the spawns watch. What good is your defense of the city then?"

Ander listened to Rhys in silence. The archer was being incredibly dark and unsettling with his words as if he was going to do those actions himself.

"Brother," Christian said, "if the grave words Rhys says are true, then I advise you to reconsider."

"Please, your majesty." Rhys said. "Your help is the one most potent. With your army, we can very well be unstoppable. Sure, she was soldiers, but we have power. If you believe that either option is going to end in death, then you might as well pick your poison. Where would you die, then? Out there in the battlefield with your men fighting beside you for the world's freedom? Or in here, clutching your stomach as your bodily functions cease? What say you?"

"Mara is truly cruel." Ander said. "Making men force to choose their own deaths is beyond vile. Many men who is forced to make the dilemma may choose to take the easy way out and the quickest way. I will not, however. If death is inevitable, I choose the warrior's death."

"Brother, are you saying-"

"Yes, Christian." Ander interrupted, confirming his brother's suspicions. Ander then stood up from his throne and locked his eyes with Rhys powerfully. "Rhys Yeager, I swear my sword to you, and-"

"Actually, Queen Elsa is the one to swear fealty to." Rhys pointed out. "I'm more of a messenger."

"Then hear me out, messenger." Ander said. "I, King Ander Westerguard of the Southern Isles, declare that my sword belongs to Arendelle and to its Queen, Queen Elsa. Her choices are my choices. Her orders are my duties. I am, temporarily mind you, sworn under her command for the coming battle. I swear to live by these words until the duty I swear them on is over."

"Never heard him say those words before." Christian muttered to himself. "Did he just make them up on the spot?"

"How many ships will you send?" Rhys asked.

"I will match the amount of ships you already have with you." Ander answered. "I, myself, will accompany you. Christian will be acting steward while I am gone, and he will be king if I am killed."

"On my honor." Christian said.

"Don't you want to fight too?" Rhys asked the second brother.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not really the fighting type." Christian said. "I'll do whatever I can to help as long as that task is not on the battlefield."

"I understand." Rhys said, bowing. "Then, I presume we have a fleet."

"If that's what you consider a fleet, then yes." Ander said. "We have a really small, pathetic fleet, but a fleet nonetheless."

* * *

Rhys stood at the edge of the deck of Arendelle's finest ship Kai had given him. He looked towards the back of the ship to see the army he had gathered travel on sails behind them. The sight would've given him confidence if the waves weren't violent and the winds weren't powerful.

It would be a little while longer before Rhys reached Arendelle. Hopefully, he would be there before it would be too late.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a comment/review to let me know what you think. Reviews were light for the last chapter, so I hope we can break those numbers.

This chapter was unfortunately incredibly short compared to others. And I wasn't even sure if it was all that necessary. But, the next chapter will officially mark the beginning of the end. That's right, the next chapter will be the first part of the multi-part climax which will be a minimum of five chapters and a maximum of ten. It's going to be epic and none of you guys will want to miss out on it. Everything I've written so far leads to this.

For those of you who may have not already noticed, the picture on my profile is of Kai and that's how I imagine him to look like. I'm going to change it back to what I used to have after a few weeks.

This may very well be the final QOTD.

**QOTD: How do you think this will end?**

Ciao.


	43. End Game - The Black Palace

**End Game - The Black Palace**

* * *

Avenging. Determined. Prepared for anything. That's what everyone who decided to put their lives down on the line had to be in order to become what they all wanted to be. A savior. The short days they all had to prepare for this final confrontation hopefully shaped them all into what was needed from the world. Sure, they were far from the world's mightiest warriors, but they had the conviction, making them just as good.

Arendelle's Field of Flight was where the battle was scheduled to take. Wherever else would be determined by the outcome of the victor, whoever that may be. If Elsa and her army were to fail right then and there, then the Field of Flight would officially be the first in many massacres to come. No one was going to let that happen. People were going to die, no changing that fact. But, everyone who risked it made sure that they were okay with that unknown.

No more than seven hundred people stood in the field that day. All the fighters of Arendelle wore the same standard uniform and equipment that was given out to them: a green cloak that covered leather armor - which only protected vital parts which did not cover joints - and a belt which served as a sword sheath for those who had swords. A great many of the men had lances strapped to their backs since they thought it would be a more fitting weapon than swords.

Everyone stood in a line, side by side. There was three lines in all with a few hundred men in each line, standing shoulder to shoulder. The spacing between the lines was a few meters, but the spacing between men was only about two feet average.

At the head of the army stood Elsa, wearing icy armor. This armor was fairly different compared to the armor fashion she wore previously. The ice over her skin was less thick than what it was, being only about an inch thick. There was a symmetric pattern over her breastplate that looked like the waves of an ocean. At her waist was a clear, cloth sash made of ice which looked like the tail of a tailcoat. She wore gauntlets and greaves which were thicker than the rest of the armor, emphasizing her forearms and the part of her leg under her knees. Her hands were bare for obvious reasons.

The differences between her new armor and old were almost unnoticeable, but there was something new to it. Like a hood, Elsa had a helmet attached by clear cloth at the back of the armor of her neck. She could pull it over her head any time she thought it necessary. The helmet itself looked like a Spartan helmet with the triangle in the middle of the forehead which looked like a widows peak. The triangle curved out around her eyes where it went straight down to her cheeks. The top of the helmet was like a round triangle which curved back and pointed diagonally upwards. Her hair was straight to accommodate for the helmet.

Anna wore thin, metal armor over her body, legs, and arms, leaving the joints exposed for maneuverability. Decorating her breastplate was a bloodied rose with thorns which didn't make her seem very hospitable. Unlike Elsa, her outfit came with tight leather gloves which made her grip on her skinny stiletto sword stronger. Anna, having no experience with sword play in her life, wasn't entirely ready to handle a weapon in combat, but she knew the basics. Over her mouth was a metal face mask which covered her mouth and nose but had three breathing slits on it.

Kristoff sat on top of Sven, both of them wearing silver armor. Kristoff was wearing silver greaves and gauntlets and a shining chest piece. His thighs were covered in leather instead of armor so it would make sitting on top of Sven more comfortable. Sven, on the other hand, was covered almost completely in plated armor, minus his underside which was exposed. Sven's antlers even had sharp points added to it just in case he need to head-butt some spawns which was likely.

Kai was wearing the red and black leather tailcoat which he previously wore. It didn't provide him much protection if he were hit, but it did provide him speed which he always took over defense. Strapped to his waist was his sword which Elsa gave him, his lucky dagger, and the handle of Ludicium. He had his face mask put on for the battle.

"Did Bloom and Olaf stay back?" Elsa asked Kai who stood right next to her.

"Olaf did." Kai answered. "And Bloom left to get some help."

"I didn't know about the latter." Elsa bitterly said. "Who did you send her to get?"

"Why do you assume I did it?" Kai asked.

"You went behind my back once." Elsa stated. "Forgive me if I'm too skeptical to-"

"I did it." Kristoff interrupted. Kai, Elsa, and Anna looked up at Kristoff for some elaboration. "I asked her to get the trolls." He said. "We'll need their help with magic."

"And how do you suppose how Bloom will ask for their help?" Anna inquired. "She can't even talk."

"I... Should've thought that one through."

"She'll find a way." Elsa assured. "She usually does. Speaking of help, Kai, where do you suppose our reinforcements are?"

"If I did my math right, Rhys should've been here by this morning... I think that it was morning." Kai said.

"Assuming there wasn't any obstacles?" Anna asked.

"Assuming there wasn't any obstacles." Kai confirmed.

"We'll just have to make do with who we have right now." Elsa said. "Mara won't just let us sit and wait around for help."

"She isn't even here yet." Kristoff pointed out. "Maybe we can-"

At the other end of the field just then, there was a whip of black and darkness, and Mara appeared out of nowhere. Instead of wearing her usual Rebs, she seemed to be wearing skin tight black leather with green patterns of what seemed to be fire all over her. The black cape she wore complete her outfit. Nothing else seemed to change however. The demented staff was still the same. Her demented eyes spelled death.

"Me and my big mouth." Kristoff muttered.

Elsa ignored Kristoff's comment and proceeded to walk forward, away from the army, approaching Mara. The harbinger decided to spare Elsa the pain of walking all that way by approaching her enemy as well. Pain was to be saved for later, and Mara intended to deliver more than enough pain.

A protective Kai followed Elsa while motioning for the others to stay put, even though Anna and Kristoff were reluctant to leave the two alone with the one who was to bring the end of all good things.

After a minute of walking, the two parties met each other in the center of the field.

"This is quite the army you have gathered here." Mara complimented. "Alas, I'm afraid it will not be enough. My spawns will break them like water through paper."

"Words mean nothing if not put in action." Elsa informed. "We will fight. We will hold our own. We will win, Mara."

"Delusions which may prove rather entertaining for me." Mara chuckled. "The grass will soon be stained red, and that, I cannot wait to see. After you meet your maker, I'll enforce my wrath on the rest of the world. Only then will everyone witness what true power is like."

"This is your last chance." Kai threatened. "We can broker a peace. Turn off the darkness, slither back to the hole of hell you came from, and I won't have to burn you alive."

"We're all a little past peace, child." Mara said.

Kai put his hand over Ludicium inconspicuously, but he refrained from whipping it out, believing that the outcome won't be what he hoped it would be.

"To battle, then." Elsa stated.

"To battle." Mara confirmed.

Without another word, both parties turned around and walked back to their side, serious looks in their eyes. Although, Mara had a glint of joy on her face. She was going to enjoy what happened next. The screams of dying soldiers in pain was music to her ears. She hoped to turned the oceans red with the blood of the innocent, but perhaps that was too much to ask.

Right as Elsa and Kai entered the proximity of their army, they turned on their heels, making their backs face the supporters. The very sight of Kai unsheathing his sword sent a wave through the warriors as they all unsheathed their weapons. Anna and Kristoff pulled their weapons out last: Anna her skinny sword and Kristoff his lance.

Once Elsa or Kai gave the word, a legion of men would charge, weapons drawn into battle. But, there was no reason to give the world. Mara had yet to summon a single spawn in the battlefield, and if Arendelle charged first, then Mara had the element of surprise. Attacking first would be a death trap, and Kai and Elsa have already faced countless death traps.

When Mara got to the far end of the field, she slammed the bottom of her staff against the ground. Unexpectedly, instead of summoning an army, a black veil surrounded the area around her. The veil, or rather misty wall, of darkness shot up into the sky in a matter of seconds with Mara still in the middle of it. Even though not a single person had any idea what Mara was doing, they all watched in horror.

The veil soon solidified into black walls. The veil shifted in shape until it was no longer a cylinder. As the solidification continued, the features of the darkness seemed to become more apparent and obvious. It was a palace. Mara had just formed a parlance just as fast as Elsa could. Compared to Elsa's palace which was elegant, decorative, and undoubtedly beautiful, the Black Palace looked sharper, decorative in a demented way, and overall more intimidating.

The palace, however, was no bigger than Elsa's own. From the outside, it even seemed to resemble the same archetype of castle. Even the second floor to it had a balcony, although this balcony had spikes sticking out of the sides instead of a railing. From the inside, there was a green light which was rather faint from outside viewers.

Even from afar, people could see Mara standing on the balcony of the castle, overlooking the entire field.

Kristoff whistled at the sight.

"People of Arendelle!" Mara yelled. Her voice was miraculously heard by everyone as if she were standing right next to them. "Your Queen has condemned you! She will lead you into an earlier grave than you already have! Give up your fight now, and live a while longer!"

Kai, personally, bit back his tongue. He was about to order the others to keep standing alongside them, but he was afraid that Mara was right about fighting her being a death sentence. He had no right to control the lives of others.

But, no one left. Everyone stood their ground, their faces filled with the same determination and anger they had when they first entered the field. A few petty words from a faraway woman was not going to stop them from fighting. For that, Kai had a reason to be proud.

"Your deaths have been by your own hands, then!" Mara finally exclaimed.

With her staff, Mara swiped downwards, seemingly hitting nothing past the spikes of her palace. No one, however, believed that she was even attempting to hit something. Around the palace and on the opposite side of the soldiers, creatures made of darkness formed out of nowhere. The green and purple eyes of the spawns looked like they were thirsty for blood.

Mara watched the entire legion of her disposable spawns form with a smirk at the corner of her mouth. The spawns' enemies just watched in horror. For each spawn formed, the likeliness of one of them dying rose. The likeliness rose a lot.

In the end, the ginormous field had two large armies. The remaining space between the two forces could've fitted at least four more armies. There was still a lot of fighting ground for fighting, and fighting was exactly what was intended.

Kai was surprised by the amount of spawns. Not because of how large, but because of how little. Mara easily could've summoned triple the amount, yet she settled with roughly the same number of soldiers Kai had brought with him. That was a puzzle that didn't take Kai long to figure out. He knew that Mara would summon much more when the soldiers were tired out, thinking the fight was almost over.

"We need to get to her before she can summon anymore." Kai said to Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff. He almost whispered it since no one else could hear it.

"Agreed." Elsa said. "Getting to Mara is the priority. The spawns are just obstacles."

"So the four of us will just break into the castle and make our way up?" Anna asked.

"I'll opt out of that one." Kristoff said. "The cavalry is needed outside, not in there."

Kai nodded at Kristoff. "Ride safe."

"Give them motivation, Kristoff." Elsa requested.

"Of course." Kristoff promised. He turned his head back to look at the very first line of the army. Lined there were men on horses, only being about twenty in all and each spaced apart by at least ten men. There, Kristoff saw the familiar face of an old rival: Thatcher.

Slowly but surely, the army of spawns crept closer to Arendelle's forces one step at a time. The process was slow, but no one was willing to charge first.

"We are here to defend the world!" Kai reminded the warriors. "If we go down, the world will soon follow. We cannot be broken. We have to bring back the light!"

The crowd, as usual, cheered, but the fact that the cheers seemed almost cheerless proved that they were reluctant.

Up in her palace, Mara managed a quite chuckle to herself, amused by the valiant minds. She had to give them credit for that. Mara regretted not keeping Kai around for a little longer. She would've found great use for him.

"Kill them." Mara whispered to herself. For some magical reason, every single summoned spawn heard her with their non-existent ears.

Like a wave, they all charged. As the spawns approached the fighters quickly, everyone readied their weapons, only willing to charge when Kai ordered them to. Elsa, officially, had the right to give the order, but she knew that Kai had much better battle expertise than she did, so battle orders came from him.

Spawns toppled over each other, each intending to draw first blood. No spawn stayed at the front of the line too long since they eventually tripped and were run over by their fellow comrades. The way they all moved made them seem almost like spiders crawling on top of each other.

Before they knew it, the first line of spawns was only fifty meters away from the first line of humanity's defense. That was when Kai pulled the trigger.

"No mercy!" Kai ordered. He flicked his wrists, engulfing both hands in Flames which looked like balls of energy over his hands. Slapping his hands together, Kai shot out a huge, powerful, single stream of fiery energy from his hands, blasting straight at the spawns right in front of him. The flames burned through a few lines of the creatures, but he knew that his attempts were almost futile. Kills meant nothing if they didn't take care of the one who handled the strings.

Inspired, the army cheered as they rushed forward to meet their enemy. The people in the back would have to wait their turn to swing swords and spears until the fighting area became less packed and everyone spread out fighting, disputing the fighting field.

Kristoff and the cavalry rushed past Kai, Elsa, and Anna swinging his lance down at the spawns while riding on Sven. For each swing, he took out one spawn and knocked down a few others. One kill didn't really affect much, but at least it contributed. Sure, the army seemed to be the same amount, but a majority of the spawns were quite small. Two small spawns equaled one normal human. It may have seemed like the same number in each army, but Kristoff knew better.

Elsa charged into battle, and while running, she formed two swords made of ice in her hands. Kai, of course, followed her, stepping on every footstep she made. Anna, knowing who she belonged with, followed Kai and Elsa into the battlefield.

At least, in war, no spawn really prioritized killing Elsa, Kai, or Anna. Their job was to eradicate the opposing force, and that would mean to not focus on a select few people. So, as Elsa, Kai, and Anna charged towards the wall of spawns in front of them alongside the other human fighters, all eyes weren't necessarily focused on them.m

Elsa slowed down her run so that the other fighters could catch up with her. They needed to attack the front line of spawns together... Hard. People with spears didn't hesitate to put the blade in front of them, impaling spawns as they ran in front of others. People who carried swords made sure that they were the first to make their attack on the spawn in front of them, cutting spawns before the spawns could even lift an arm.

They weren't, however, free of casualties. One fighter, who was unfortunately too slow to slice a spawn, was stabbed by a small, green eyed spawn using its sharp hands. Another soldier was punched in the face by a brute, purple eyed spawn. His neck was immediately snapped and he fell back, his fellow soldiers avoiding his body. Their deaths would not go un-avenged. For every man and woman who died, three spawns would be taken down.

Elsa stabbed a spawn with her left sword, and that spawn was unfortunately the one she first saw. After that spawn disintegrated, another came up to take its place by quickly approaching Elsa, but she took that one down by slashing at it with the sword in her right hand. Another spawn approached her directly but it was quickly taken out when Elsa slashed her swords in an x-shape.

She then realized that her powers were just as useful as any sword. Throwing her swords at a spawn a few feet away from her, her hands were now free. As Kai took out spawns from her right and Anna from her left, the spawns she decided to take out were right in front of her. By that point, the humans have already broken through the spawn wall and vice versa. There was some space between each individual fight.

Elsa shot a blast of ice at an incoming spawn, and although it didn't destroy it, the spawn froze with a layer of ice around its body. She then quickly formed an ice dagger in a hand and threw it at the frozen creature, shattering the ice and dagger on impact, but destroying the creature into nothing.

Anna seemed to be getting the most clumsy of the spawns as they all fell mercy to her sword. Either all of the spawns she faced were the bad outliers, or Anna was just naturally skilled. She held her sword with two hands, not used to the one handed style Kai and Elsa both used. It provided her more control of her blade, and in a life threatening battle, control was everything.

She stabbed the body of a large spawn as it raised its hands in the air to smash her. Quickly, it disintegrated, but before Anna could dodge, another spawn, although smaller, leaped off of the head of it's companion and jumped towards Anna. Her sword, which was still in its stab position, swung upwards, slicing the leaping spawn in half and the into nothing.

At the corner of her eye, Anna noticed a small spawn creep up to her. Desiring to do a side swing attack, Anna slid her feet around. But, her clumsiness made her swing in a three-sixty circle. Fortunately, doing just that on accident saved her life. There were two quickly approaching spawns coming at Anna, and she didn't even notice one of them. Her circle attack cut through both of them, saving her life.

If only she was as good as a fighter as Kai was. He was definitely the most violent yet most controlling person in the entire field. Everything went his way as he fought.

Kai slashed his sword diagonally downwards at the spawn in front of him, and after he made a clean slice in the creature's body, he flipped the handle in his hand so that the blade was facing behind him. Without second guessing himself, he stabbed the spawn right behind him through the back, even though it paid him no attention.

There was a small spawn which jumped at Kai from his left. While it was in midair, Kai grabbed the head of the spawn. As it slashed its points at Kai's arms, trying to hurt him but failing, Kai willed fire in his left hand. The spawn's head erupted into flames which devoured its body into the nothingness that awaited all spawns. There would never be a peaceful way for any of them to go out.

From ahead, a large spawn caught sight of Kai and it locked its eyes on its target. Right as it began to charge, Kai tossed his sword in the air directly above him, taking a step back after that. He used this time to take out a few more baddies while the larger spawn made its charge. He quickly took out his dagger and stabbed the head of a nearby spawn, not nothing to move his feet. Using his right hand, he raised it up, causing a column of flame engulf a large spawn a little ways away from him.

Kai then looked back at the charging spawn. Before it could lay a hand on him, Kai's sword fell from above with the blade pointed towards the ground. The tip hit the spawn right in the middle of the head and ripped its way down the creatures body. By the time the blade was sticking out of the ground, the spawn was nothing but an insignificant martyr.

"Heads up." Kai said to the dead spawn.

"So far so good." Anna said to Kai and Elsa as the three convened in a small triangle. All the spawns around them were occupied by a soldier so they had nothing to worry about until someone was struck down.

"It doesn't mean anything until we take Mara down." Kai said.

"Then we rush to the palace on three." Elsa ordered.

"Right." Anna said.

"I'm right beside you." Kai confirmed.

But, right after he said that, a giant claw grabbed him from the air and pulled him off of the ground. Elsa and Anna watched in horror was the dragon swooped down from the sky, grabbed Kai, and flew away. His entire torso was wrapped by the clutches of the dark dragon who did not look like it was in a happy mood.

"On second thought!" Kai exclaimed from the air as he was taken away. "You guys are on your own!"

"Great." Anna groaned. "What do we do now?"

"We can't wait around for him." Elsa said. "We have to continue with the plan without him. On the count of three. Three!"

Anna and Elsa rushed towards the black palace with weapons out.

"I've been waiting for this." Anna said. "It's time to take down that motherfu-"

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a review/comment to let me know what you think!

Here we are, at the beginning of the end. There'll be much more parts coming your way so stay tuned.

Also, I saw Avengers: Age of Ultron opening day, so here's my review of it below.

**InfiniteAssassin's Unofficial Review of Avengers: Age of Ultron**

First and foremost, I want to point out that I loved this movie. It's great. There's no reason for moviegoers or comic fans to not watch this movie. Is it better than the first Avengers film? Er...

Being the sequel to the Avengers, an amazing movie, AoU had a lot to live up to or perhaps even succeed. It does, however, live up to the first movie, but it doesn't necessarily surpass it for some reasons which I will point out later on.

Ultron is the big baddie in this movie. As se of you may know, I'm a geeky guy, being a fan of comics and video games. In the comics, Ultron was built by Hank Pym (The original Ant-Man). But, we won't see Hank Pym in the Marvel Cinematic Universe until Ant-Man which comes out later this year. In the film, Tony Stark builds Ultron to help protect the world, but Ultron believes that the only way to save the world is to destroy the human race.

Visually, the film is fantastic and undoubtedly the best looking superhero movie to date. The action is intense, fast paced, and always entertaining. It's always eye-candy and you won't want to miss a single second of it. There are laughs throughout the entire movie. However, the climax does drag on a bit at the end and I had to keep reminding myself what exactly was the goal of it all.

The story had excellent pacing, although the middle of the movie was rather slow. A huge reason for that is Thor's little side quest. His short journey away from The Avengers was really out of place with the entire movie and in the end, it was just a set up and foreshadow for Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War Part I and Part II. Another plot element I didn't like was the romance between Hulk and Black Widow. It felt forced at the beginning, and it felt forced at the end. You never really see any chemistry between the characters, but although their relationship grows a little, the emphasis on it was unnecessary.

I initially thought that the film would suffer from a very large cast since they added Vision, Scarlett Witch, and Quicksilver. All of the new characters, surprisingly for me, fit very well into the movie, especially Vision and Scarlett Witch. There was a scene where Vision saved Scarlett Witch, and I'm pretty sure I was the only one in the entire theater who got the reference. For those of you who don't know, Vision and Scarlett Witch are a couple in the comics. Also, there are returning characters in the film such as Falcon and War Machine, and although they don't have much significance to the story, they were good to see nonetheless.

The scene most anticipated from the trailer was the Hulkbuster (in the film, they refer to it as the Veronica) verses Hulk scene. It was amazing to watch, but now that I think of it, the entire scene served almost no significance to the overall story other than to have a cool fight. It was thoroughly enjoyable, though.

The acting was, as always, excellent. The humor was not awkward and was hilarious. The action and visuals were stunning. The plot and pacing were well balanced, focused, and straightforward. However, there were parts that slowed down the movie, unfortunately.

The Verdict

Pros:

\- Excellent acting

\- Good, well balanced plot and pacing

\- Funny throughout

\- Action and visuals are amazing and entertaining

\- Ultron is a great and almost terrifying villain (James Spader delivers an excellent performance)

\- The little things that nodded towards fans of the source material

\- Small nods to future installments of the franchise (Tony and Steve's opposite ideas at times which definitely nods to their rivalry in the future film Captain America: Civil War)

Cons:

\- Although I did like seeing the set ups, Thor's future film set ups were out of place

\- The romance between Hulk and Widow was boring and didn't really go anywhere

\- A bit slow in the middle but that changes

\- Climax drags on a bit

Score: 9/10

Age of Ultron is a great movie and worthy of its place in the MCU. Although it wasn't necessarily "better" than the first film, it's not worse, and it's high up there in the best films in the MCU along with Iron Man, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (which I think is the best Marvel movie to date). It's worth a watch, and if you haven't seen it, I have no idea what's going through your mind.

Ciao.


	44. End Game - The Resistance

**End Game - The Resistance**

* * *

Elsa sprinted towards a large spawn who was in the middle of readying its fist to hit Elsa. If spawns had guts, they would've spilled when she cut his abdomen horizontally with an ice sword. With its legs and body disconnected, the spawn dissolved in the cold air, leaving nothing behind but another number on Elsa's kill list.

Mara's black palace was only a hundred yards away from Elsa and Anna's location, and they didn't waste time being sedentary. For every second wasted, a brand new batch of spawn could be formed to overpower the forces of Arendelle. There was one and only one way to prevent anymore human blood spilling: take out Mara.

Fights have broken out all around the field with each soldier fending off against coming spawns. The spawns died fairly easily, but there was always a spawn born every second at different areas of the field. The spawns were like a hydra: chop off one head and two more will grow back. Except, it would be a little more than two spawns at a time.

The casualties started happening when the soldiers first clashed with the spawns. During the contact from the first charge, a few men already fell with bloody holes in their bodies and many with bruises on their faces. All of the casualties that came from the purple spawns had the worst of it. Since they didn't have any sharp hands like the smaller spawns, the large ones beat their opponent to death. Each punch had the potential to be a killing blow. If one hit a man in the face, the man would have a broken nose and sometimes, if they're lucky, a broken neck.

Perhaps Kai would receive the most inhumane of deaths. He had just recently been carried away by a fire breathing dragon of darkness, and who knew what it could and would do. Seeing as how Kai could not be affected by fire, it would surely need to find a way to kill him by other means. Kai wasn't immune to claws, that was for sure.

Anna followed Elsa in the battle, taking care of the spawns her sister had missed. Sure, it made her seem insignificant in the fight, but Anna was more than fine with that. She had a certain set of skills and those skills did not include fighting a giant army of strange dark creatures controlled by an evil dark summoner. Anna was more into dancing.

As the girls ran, they tried to ignore all of the other battles happening around them. The only spawns they dared to face were the ones who strayed away from a small fight and caught a glimpse of the running sisters. However, a lot of them got decapitated by an icy sword before they could even prepare to attack.

"You know, it would be nice of you to leave some more for me." Anna joked.

Elsa ran towards a giant spawn, but instead of striking it down, she ducked and slid on her feet with an ice slide under her, sliding pass the spawn. It seemed almost confused as it turned back to look at Elsa who seemingly ignored it. Anna followed a few yards behind her sister.

"Merry Christmas!" Elsa called back to Anna.

"I was joking!" Anna annoyingly said.

The spawn which Elsa left for Anna turned back to face the younger sister. Anna gulped as she ran closer and closer to it. As it punched at her, Anna stepped to the side, following the dodge with stabbing the spawn with her skinny sword. She had no need to pull her sword out of the spawn as it quickly deteriorated into nothing in front of her.

"Worst present I've ever gotten." Anna muttered as she ran after Elsa.

Two small spawns from ahead of Elsa seemed to share one mind when they saw Elsa running up to their area. As quick as a gun could fire, the spawns, both on opposite sides of each other, leaped into the air towards Elsa. If they had planned their jumps right, they would both land on Elsa at the same time, and there, they would take out their fury on her.

She did, however, have quicker reactions than anybody would suspect her to have. When the two spawns were caught in her line of sight in the air, Elsa jumped and spun around, her swords extended so her body looked like a spinning, sharp halo. The two spawns had no way to stop their attack and were caught in Elsa's bladed vortex. As she had expected, she landed on two feet with not a scratch on her.

But, a giant hand clutched her shoulder with strong force. Without thinking, she put her free hand, after she dropped her sword, over the forearm of the hostile arm and it was soon covered in a layer of ice. Only then did she realize that the hand belonged to a large spawn. Using her free hand again, Elsa punched the frozen forearm of the spawn's hand, making it shatter into icy pieces all over her shoulder.

The spawn was missing half an arm because of Elsa. Before she could stab it and kill it completely, the blade of a skinny sword came out of its chest, rendering it into nothingness in an ashy fashion. Elsa then found Anna standing behind what used to be a purple eyed spawn.

"You owe me one." Anna told Elsa.

"I could've taken care of it myself." Elsa argued, raising an eyebrow.

"But you didn't." Anna pointed out.

"But I would've." Elsa argued.

"I'm being a good sister and saving of out he trouble." Anna said. "To add to that, a good sister would tell you to roll to the side and dodge right now. Thankfully for you, I'm one of those people. Dodge!"

Elsa didn't have to ask questions to trust Anna's judgment. She rolled to the side while Anna remained standing. While standing, Anna jabbed her sword at the head of a large spawn which was charging towards the sisters from behind Elsa. If it wasn't for Anna, the ice queen would've been run down and crushed. It reduced into nothing before it could even touch Anna.

"Now, you owe me one." Anna said, bowing.

"Noted." Elsa acknowledged. "We just pick up the pace. The palace is only a sprint away."

Elsa continued her run to the castle before hearing Anna's reply. The closer they got to it, the more menacing it seemed. From far, it didn't look very large, but now seeing it up close made them feel like ants. The palace was, however, no bigger than Elsa's old ice palace. She could only hope that the interior would be the same although the chances for that would be slim.

The palace doors were closed although there wasn't necessarily anyone guarding it. There already seemed to be men and women who outran the girls, fighting around the exterior of the foot of the palace. Most of them were playing a game of jab and dodge with a spawn, but the unlucky soldiers who faced more than one creature had a harder time keeping themselves in one piece.

After Elsa passed a certain point when running towards the closed palace doors, countless smaller spawns jumped into the air towards her. The little creatures have proven to possess the power of jumping high since there was no way any normal person could leap as high as they did. With the tip of their arms aimed at Elsa, they prepared for the kill.

"Get behind me!" Elsa ordered Anna.

"Already there." Anna pointed out.

Elsa raised her hands over her head, hovering over her forehead, and a dome of ice surrounded the girls as quick as a spawn could leap. From the inside of the dome, it was pitch black, meaning Anna and Elsa couldn't see anything. But, the fact that they were still alive proved that the dome worked. That, or it didn't work, and they were dead. Probably the former.

They could hear the sounds of the many spawns hit against the icy wall that was the dome. After the thuds stopped, Elsa dropped her hands, making the dome disappear into snowflakes.

Surrounding the two girls in a perfect circle were small spawns, seemingly unharmed by their hit against the icy dome. The spawns didn't attack the girls immediately, first using their eyes to intimidate them. The girls weren't, however, at all intimidated. This was just another small fight they had to win to progress to their main goal.

Anna entered a battle stance with her sword in front of her. Elsa created two more icy swords and spun them in circles. Then, she titled her neck to the side, cracking it. In response, Anna pulled her metal mask over her mouth.

"They never learn." Elsa told Anna.

"Nor will they." Anna responded.

The spawns jumped, and the girls retaliated.

* * *

Kristoff hit the spawn which jumped at him head on while he was riding Sven. The blade at the end of his spear cut through the spawn, making it dissolve before it could even touch Sven's antlers. While his hand was still at the very end of the spear, he swung it besides Sven, hitting a large spawn and killing it when it was in mid battle with a female soldier. The girl already had a nasty wound on her shoulder, so Kristoff pretty much saved her life.

Finding a good path to run on was rather difficult for Sven. There were fighting groups everywhere and he had to be careful to run any allies over. Hostiles, however, were a different story. Whenever he could, Sven would trample any spawns over, not afraid of crushing their very essence. The other horses in the battlefield took Sven as an example and ran over their enemies with equal hatred.

Kristoff spun his spear so that the dull, wooden end was pointing ahead of him. His eyes locked on a small spawn which was in no real battle of its own in the field. It didn't seem to be paying Kristoff any attention which he was glad for. That meant his job would be so much easier.

"Alley-oop!" Kristoff said as he scooped the spawn into the air with his staff. Confused, the spawn flailed in the air, jabbing at nothing with its arms. Kristoff aimed it so that the spawn would be falling a few feet in front of them so Kristoff could be right under it when Sven rode past.

While the spawn was falling, Kristoff quickly flipped his spear so that the bladed side was pointing ahead of him. He then jabbed the spawn in the air, killing it.

As Sven ran, Krisotf pointed towards a small spawn in front of them.

"Launch him." Kristoff ordered with a smirk.

Sven used his antlers to scoop the spawn up into the air where Kristoff jabbed it with his spear. After the spawn was dead, Kristoff spun his weapon around in victory, careful not to drop it. He then threw his spear at the head of a large spawn yards in front of him. It was a clean cut through, and the spear's blade ended up digging into the dirt, with the wooden part sticking diagonally upward. Kristoff leaned to the side with his hand and arm extended to grab the spear.

But, before his hand could touch it, someone else on horseback grabbed it instead. Kristoff was preparing to shout a curse to whoever it was that had just stolen his weapon but the man who took the spear spoke first.

"Too slow." Thatcher mocked.

"You're afraid that I'll steal your spotlight like I always do, so you take my weapon?" Kristoff asked.

Thatcher tossed Kristoff back his spear and he caught it with one hand, spinning it to show off to Thatcher.

"You're going to need this if we're all going to get out of this with our heads still intact." Thatcher said.

"Guess you're not the prick I always thought you were." Kristoff complimented, although the compliment was rather weak.

Thatcher was in mid-laugh when his body was grabbed by the hands of a purple eyed spawn and pulled of his mount. The horse continued to run ahead, completely ignoring Thatcher's absence from its back. Kristoff watched in horror and never kept his eyes away as the spawn threw Thatcher on the ground and pounded his body with both, large hands.

"Sven, go back for him!" Kristoff ordered.

Obeying, Sven turned away from his course to run back where Thatcher was. As they were riding back, three wandering spawns joined in with the large spawn in taking out Thatcher. Using their sharp hands, they jabbed different parts of Thatcher's body. Although Kristoff couldn't see exactly what was happening to his rival because of the large spawn in the way of his line of sight, he could tell that Thatcher was going through a lot of pain due to his painful screams.

"No!" Kristoff exclaimed as he slid off of Sven's back.

He ran towards the large spawn and jammed his spear through it's back. When the body disappeared, Kristoff swiped the blade of his spear over Thatcher's body, killing the spawns which were mutilating it.

"Thatcher?" Kristoff silently asked.

He knew, however, that Thatcher was not going to answer. His eyes were open and his mouth was ajar. His neck was bloody with stab wounds all around them, and the same went for his chest. The pool of blood Thatcher was laying on grew larger and larger every second.

Kristoff closed his eyes and turned his head away. Sven trotted up and gently nudged Kristoff's arm in reassurance.

"He deserved better." Kristoff said to his best friend.

He then felt a sharp pain in his right calf. Kristoff yelled and fell to his knees, turning around to see what had just happened. Sven had kicked and killed the spawn that stabbed Kristoff's calf so Kristoff didn't see a hostile directly behind him. His calf, however, was bleeding. The armor that protected it was punctured and blood was seeping through it.

Sven grunted in worry.

"I'll be fine." Kristoff said, gritting his teeth. It was almost a lie, too. "Just help me up."

* * *

Since most of the soldiers were in the dark about Elsa and Anna infiltrating the palace personally, there were those who attempted to break through the doors. Two men were busy trying to push the double doors open while three other men did their best to guard the pushers from spawn attacks. The three men formed a semicircle around the two and made sure no spawn could get pass.

Elsa saw that a group of spawns in front of her were closing in on the five men, all of them standing side by side. Luckily for her, she and Anna had the upper hand sine the spawns didn't seem to notice them behind them. She raised her hand in the air and icy spikes shot diagonally off of the ground, impaling the spawns from behind. When Elsa dropped her hand, the spikes disappeared.

The girls jogged over to the soldiers, slicing any stray spawns that jumped at them in mid air.

"Your majesty." The soldier in the middle acknowledged as Elsa and Anna approached them. He held a sword in one hand, but his other arm had a nasty cut which soaked his arm red.

"What are you planning to do once you get those doors open?" Elsa asked.

"Run in, slaughter any hostiles in our path, and take that witch down." The guard answered.

"_You'll_ be the ones who'll be slaughtered." Anna pointed out.

"Then we'll die in your service." The man said. He already had conceded his life to the greater good, no matter how painful of a death he might face.

"That won't be necessary." Elsa said. It sounded more like an order than anything else. "You will need to leave Mara to us. Your fight is out here."

"With all do respect, your majesty-"

"That wasn't a suggestion." Elsa said. "Get yourself patched up, or flee for medical attention. A healed man is more useful than a wounded one."

"Your majesty, I-"

A small spawn jumped on the soldier from the side. There was no way anyone could see that coming. Elsa grabbed it by the head, froze it's body, and threw it to the side where it shattered on the grassy ground. By then, it was already too late. The soldier already had a large puncture in his throat which was bleeding profusely. All he could do was make gagging sounds as he slunk to the ground.

"No." Elsa said. "No, no, no." She repeated. She knelt down and out her hand over the soldier's wound, applying pressure to it. It only took a few seconds for her hand to be soaked in his blood. The man's fellow guards looked down at him with remorse. "Cover me!" Elsa ordered.

"Look at me." Elsa told the man. He hopelessly moved his eyes to meet hers. "You're going to be alright." Elsa assured. "We'll get you some help. Don't you, for a second, lose hope. You're going to make it out of here. Look, it's only a scratch." She lied.

His eyes stopped moving about halfway through her desperate words. His breathing stopped at the same time.

"He's gone." Anna said, killing an approaching spawn with the tip of her sword.

Elsa closed the corpse's eyes.

"They will all be avenged." Elsa swore.

Clenching her fist, swirls of snow danced around her closed hand. The area around it became colder and colder the longer Elsa charged. When she felt that her hand had accumulated a maximum amount of energy, she aimed her hand at the area of the door in between the two men pushing it and released her energy when she opened her palm. A blast of ice hit the door and blasted it open, missing the two guards but leaving them startled and amazed.

"Make sure no one enters the palace." Else ordered a guard. "Guard the doors and do not interrupt us."

"To the death." The guard promised.

"Anna, it's time we collect Mara's head." Elsa said.

* * *

At least his arms were free, but that was all Kai had going for him. His sword and dagger were still sheathed and strapped to his waist, and since the dragon had completely covered it, there was no way for Kai to have access to them until he literally escaped the clutches of the dragon.

The dragon flew up in the air, but instead of sweeping down in the battlefield to takeout men, it flew around the field, hovering over the forest. Kai was too busy trying to escape the tight grasp than to wonder why the dragon didn't just swoop down and have some lunch.

The longer he was being grabbed, the more his body hurt. It was as if the dragon was gradually squeezing him harder and harder over time.

Using fists of fire, Kai pounded the dragon's foot or hand or whatever dragons had.

"Come on you big ugly lizard!" Kai taunted. "Open up!"

The dragon responded by roaring. It then turned towards the field and swooped down. Kai could feel the vertigo in his stomach as they descended at a quick pace. From the dragon's claws, Kai could see that its mouth was letting off a green glow, signifying that it was just about to unleash fire. Surely, it would burn a lot of good men in the field.

As the dragon opened its mouth, Kai shot a large fireball at the under-jaw of the dragon. The force knocked its mouth closed, stopping the fire from being unleashed. It again flew up in the air and ascended with Kai still in his hand.

"Open up!" Kai ordered. "Would it help if I said please?!"

Only then did Kai realize his poor choice of words. The dragon threw Kai up in the sky above it, with Kai screaming as he ascended quickly. Tilting its head upwards, the dragon opened its mouth wide, hoping Kai would fall straight into it. Kai stopped going upward, and when he started to fall downward, he realized what the dragon was trying to do.

"Not what I meant! Not like this!" Kai quickly said. "Not what I meant! Not like this!"

Something then clicked in Kai's head. He slapped his forehead while falling, almost ignoring the fact that he was air born. How could he be so stupid and ignore the fact that he had powers which would help immensely?

Kai extended his arms and began to glide downward. Not slowly, but slower than his falling speed, and faster than hovering. His glide was aimed slightly downward so he could descend quicker. Now, since his waist could be accessed, that meant his sword and dagger were free to use as well. He didn't know the first thing about killing a dragon, but he assumed that one could kill a dragon in the manner in which others killed a dragon: stab it a lot with a sword.

However, Kai knew that fighting it over the battlefield would not be a very wise decision. Missed dragon fire could make its way down to the ground, and the men down there were not fireproof unlike Kai. So, he reckoned that he had to move the battle to an area with less exposed people. The forest was the only option in that case. There would be no casualties, but getting back to the fight after the dragon was finished was going to be a pain.

As he descended, he got closer and closer to the dragon. No way he would be able to keep himself up in the air in a glide for long. Remembering a past ability of his, Kai tried it out. Kai aimed his hands right under him and shot two streams of fire. The force was so great that Kai was propelled upward in a spinning fashion. After he finished his spin, he continued to glide at a higher level than he was before.

"Come and get me." Kai told the dragon. Temporarily, Kai dropped from his glide to shoot two fireballs at the face of the dragon. Immediately after, Kai continued his glide and propelled upward. The fireballs flew down and hit the dragon in the face. Although it did not appear to be harmed, it looked angry. Kai could feel its rage.

"Not the smartest decision in my life." Kai whispered to himself.

The dragon roared and flew up towards Kai with it's mouth ready for Kai's blood.

"I'm sorry." Kai whimpered.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a review/comment to let me know what you think.

I'm extremely sorry for the long wait time. There was a lot happening at school which made me delay writing. To add to that, I was being lazier than usual. Also, there was an Avengers reference in the chapter since I couldn't get the movie out of my mind.

Ciao.


	45. End Game - Dragonfire

**End Game - Dragonfire**

* * *

The dragon ascended more quickly than Kai would've thought it could go. When he saw the throat of the dragon glow green, Kai moved to the side to avoid singing his clothes since he didn't want to lose another nice set right after he ruined his previous ones. It probably wasn't very smart for him to worry about his clothes during an encounter with a deadly dragon, though. At least he wasn't engulfed in flames when the dragon shot its stream of fire from its mouth.

As it flew upward towards Kai, it extended its front arms, opening its hands. If its mouth didn't get Kai, surely the claws would. That was, of course, assuming that Kai would stay sedentary and does not a thing about it. Unfortunately for the dragon, that just wasn't the case. Kai had no plans to die that day, but he had plans for the dragon to do just that. Die.

Kai stopped his slowly descended hover, dropping down towards the ground at full speed. Since he was a few hundred feet in the air, he had no fear of crashing on the ground just yet. As he fell downwards, he unsheathed his sword and held the handle with both hands. He then held it so that it was in a downward stab position, holding it over his head. The dragon and Kai closed in on each other rather quickly considering their speeds.

He was headed towards a head on collision, but moving upwards a little changed that. When the dragon had the ability to harm Kai up close, it extended its neck to snap at the fire user. However, Kai maneuvered his way out of his original position, making the dragon miss its target.

As Kai fell next to the ascending back of the dragon, he jabbed his sword into the dragon's flesh. Roaring in pain, the dragon stopped its ascent and straighten itself out horizontally. In the half second Kai had its sword in the back which was vertical, it had slid down the dragon's back by a yard, making a deep cut in the flesh. The sword stopped cutting down when the dragon started flying horizontally again.

Kai found himself laying on the back of the dragon, his hands still on his sword. Carefully, he scrambled up onto his feet, leaning down so he won't lose a hold on the weapon which was like a needle stuck in the dragon's body. Unfortunately for Kai, the dragon actually had a mind, and the mind of a predator at that. In midair, it spun around like a drill with Kai still on it. The unwelcomed passenger was taken by surprise and accidentally let go of the sword, the only anchor Kai had on the dragon.

He found himself in midair again, the dragon flying above him, and with his weapon lodged into the dragon's back. But, as he fell down, he realized that he wasn't in the Field of Flight anymore. Instead, he was falling down into the area of the forest in between the field and Arendelle. Well, at least there wouldn't be any accidental casualties.

"I'm not done with you yet." Kai said to the dragon.

He then shot streams of fire from his hands while falling, slowing down his fall and eventually propelling him back up. The dragon was flying aimlessly around and around the area of the sky the two were in, perhaps trying to get rid of the thorn on its back. That was evident by the fact that it was spinning and spinning. As long as it was in the dragon's back, Kai could keep an eye on it. Other than his dagger and a useless sword of light, that sword in the dragon was all Kai had left to fight with.

Kai shot a fireball at the dragon's tail, seeing how it paid him no attention. Although it didn't seem to harm the dragon at all, it did what Kai wanted it to do: look at him. Snarling once again, the dragon flew towards Kai at a great speed, ignoring the slight pain in its back. Using one hand to hover and another to accelerate, Kai flew towards the dragon as if the two were going to joust.

Kai had done this trick before, and surely the dragon was wise to the act by that point. It no longer expected Kai to play on with a frontal attack, so it prepared to make sure it got Kai wherever he moved. Kai, on the other hand, was counting on that. He had to do exactly what the dragon didn't think he would do.

So, when the dragon shot its flames at Kai who was riding on his fire, Kai allowed himself to be engulfed in green flames while he still rode on his own flames towards the dragon. The confused dragon continued its stream, believing to be burning Kai still. However, Kai counted on using the dragon's own mouth fire as a cover for his approach. Being fireproof meant that Kai didn't have to worry about pain. However, he didn't like the fact that his clothes would be smoking at the end of it.

He kept gliding towards the dragon through the fire, being hidden in the green. When he was just about right in front of the dragon's mouth, he propelled up, spinning over the dragon's snout, landing on the head. Only then did the dragon realize that Kai was standing on its body.

"Not how I imagined riding a dragon would be like." Kai muttered,

His sword was sticking out of the back towards the end of the dragon's body, about three yards away from the start of the tail. He unsheathed his dagger just in case he needed an extra anchor which would not hurt his attempts to take the dragon down. But, as he ran on top of the dragon's back, the slope of it began to change. Kai felt like he was running up a hill which was gradually steepening, making it harder for him to move up with every step.

The dragon had began to descend, forcing Kai to run up a smooth surface. His run turned into more of a scramble. But, before he could slip completely and fall, he managed to grab the hilt of the sword which stuck out of the dragon. He then ground himself hanging on the single handle. But, since the dragon was going down and there was air pushing against it, Kai was forced to change positions, facing downwards towards the ground.

He could feel his grip loosening from the sword. Using his free hand, he grabbed his dagger from his waist and stabbed the dragon next to where his sword was. The dragon let out a small roar when it felt the prick in its back. In response, it turned its body so that it was flying straight, rather than down. Kai's body slumped down against the surprisingly smooth back, still holding onto two weapons.

"Now you're just pissing me off." Kai angrily muttered as he stood up and took his blades out of the dragon. He looked at the wound he had left, but he raised an eyebrow when he realized that there was no wound to be seen, even though he had just removed the sword and dagger less than a second ago.

The realization came to him. The dragon could regenerate. How could he kill something that would heal instantly? What use were fire powers if they didn't bother it? What use were swords when they didn't leave any marks? He knew he couldn't stop attacking it, though. Leaving it alone would be most unwise since it would think Kai would not be a threat.

Kai started to run towards the head of the dragon. Feeling the footsteps of Kai on its back, the dragon spin in a spiral in mid-air. However, Kai could feel the slight shift in the body so he knew what the dragon was about to do before it could actually do it. Kai jumped in the air and hovered for a second as the dragon spun around. Kai's feet landed back on the back when the dragon was upright again.

He could once again feel the shift before the spin, indicating the turn. The dragon was, however, learning from its mistakes. So, when it spun around and Kai jumped, it only spun one hundred and eighty degrees, making its belly face upward when it stopped. Kai foolishly landed on its underside which was the one exposed to the sky. Miraculously, the wings were still able to fly even when the dragon was flipped around.

It turned its head to look at Kai and its belly. Without hesitation, it blew a stream of green fire at its underside, past where Kai was standing. When the stream stopped, Kai was no where to be found on the stomach. Confused, the dragon turned its head to see where Kai had gone. There was the possibility in its head that he had burned to ashes in a mere amount of seconds, but that was far fetched, especially for someone like Kai.

The dragon turned back upright and continued to soar over the forest, wondering if it truly finished Kai off for good. However, Kai was rather clever in his escape. The dragon didn't notice him use his weapons to stab and hang on to the side of the dragon.

Using all of his upper body strength, Kai pulled himself up and jumped on the dragon's back, pulling out both blades in the process. The dragon could feel the step of Kai on its back, snorting angrily.

He ran across the dragon's back, swinging his sword and dagger while doing it. When he was on the base of the neck, he jumped and used streams of fire to make him leap higher in the air. Kai lifted both weapons above his head, aiming for the dragon's head as a target.

The dragon was incredibly clever, and nothing would change that. It swung its neck to the side, therefore moving its head. Kai missed his target as he swung downwards. With nothing to land on, he began to once again fall in midair. But, he had prepared for something like that to happen. He usually always had a plan B when striking first. Quickly, Kai turned around while falling so his back faced the ground. With two swings over his waist, he had unsheathed his weapons.

Kai shot upward in midair, engulfing one fist in fire. The flame was so strong and yellow that his hand could not be seen through it. He then found himself hovering in front of the dragon's face. Smirking, Kai punched the dragon's snout as hard as he could. So hard, even, that the dragon's head jerked to the side.

"No one will believe me when I tell them I punched a dragon in the face." Kai muttered.

The dragon recovered fairly quickly, growling at Kai when it turned its face to look at him again. The punch didn't seem to do any harm at all. The dragon and Kai locked eyes in awkward silence for a few seconds.

"Fuck." Kai mumbled, knowing exactly how this would play out.

The dragon snapped forward and engulfed Kai in its mouth whole.

* * *

Mara didn't bother much to add any extra security to her palace. As Elsa and Anna ran into the first floor of the palace, they realized that there wasn't a spawn in sight and that their footsteps echoed through the room. Apparently, Mara was confident in her army outside and those strong doors to keep her safe and leave out any unwanted visitors. However, Elsa knew that Mara was not so stupid as that. Either she was careless, or she was looking forward to a confrontation.

The layout of the palace was similar to Elsa's. The walls were a glossy black and the ground matched that color. The stairs wrapped around the walls, however, the layout of the stairs was different. Mara had a central staircase which led up to the wall where it then split into two separate cases and ran up along the walls to the next floor. The railings had sharp spikes coming out of them.

"This is too easy." Anna pointed out. "I don't like it."

"We're not supposed to like it." Elsa reminded. "I don't think we should extend our stay here any longer than we have to."

"Why not?" Anna asked, sarcastically. "I feel right at home here. You know? With all the spikes, gloomy black scheme, and sense of dread in the air?"

"She's upstairs." Elsa said, ignoring her sister. "Come on."

Elsa started to run impatiently with an annoyed Anna following her. Luckily, the floor wasn't made of ice so they had no worries about slipping and hurting themselves. Well, at least Anna didn't. Elsa had a natural resistance against slipping for reasons never really explained to anyone.

"Never would've guessed that on my own." Anna muttered on her breath, sarcastically.

Both staircases led up to the second floor, opposite to each other. There was no doorway or introduction to the large room the girls found themselves in. At one side was a large open doorway which led out to the balcony, overlooking the entire battlefield. The floor had a glowing green pattern on it which complimented the black in it.

Standing on the balcony, facing the open was none other than Mara herself. Her staff was firmly perpendicular to the ground with the top of it glowing with a green aura.

Elsa found that Mara didn't seem to notice the girls at all. So, she slightly crouched, looked at Anna in the eyes, and put a finger over her mouth. Anna got the order and nodded, slightly crouching as well. The element of surprise would be their best friend in defeating Mara.

Slowly, Anna unsheathed her sword and made sure the blade was far from the ground so there would not be any accidental noises. Elsa created a single ice sword in one hand, careful in making sure that it didn't make a noise of solidifying when she did it. Now armed, Elsa lead her sister in a quiet tip toe over to Mara who still had yet to notice the girls standing behind her.

The closer they got, the more confident Elsa grew. She managed to let out a grin, almost tasting the victory in her mouth. But, right as Elsa got to the doorway, Mara said in a commanding voice "That's enough."

Elsa knew she was busted, yet she was so close to beating Mara. She lunged at the dark harbinger with her sword raised. As quick as a cat, Mara spun around and hit Elsa with a whip-like attack of green. Elsa grunted in pain as she flew back into the room, crashing against the wall. Anna, who was standing at the doorway when Mara struck, was hit by a blast of fire-like darkness which sent her flying back as well.

Mara slowly entered the room as the girls scrambled up to their feet, believing there should be no time to recover from a minor attack. Mara tisked as Elsa and Anna grabbed their swords.

"I'm not kidding when I say that it pains me to see you both so desperate." Mara sympathized. "So desperate to cling onto the faint idea of striving after this. Don't you see? The greater good is in the works! I'm purging this world of all the evil and wickedness. The human race will be gone, and so will everything bad that comes with it. Don't make it seem like I'm that bad girl!"

"You're killing billions of people!" Elsa exclaimed as she shot a blast of ice at Mara who simply hit it away with her staff.

Mara shot a long, green and purple stream of dark energy at Elsa who was forced to roll out of the way in order to avoid being hit. We're that Elsa actually were hit, well, things wouldn't have been looking good for her. "Their sacrifices are necessary to purify this world." Mara said. "If the few good billion need to parish as well, so be it."

Elsa raised her forearm up, making icy sparks shoot out of the ground and run towards Mara. But, as the penetrating spike was about to impale her, she used the butt of her staff to hit it, shattering it and all of the other connected spikes into little shards office.

"You can't kill billions and say you're doing it for the greater good." Elsa argued. "This is despicable. You control darkness and use it for evil!"

Mara raised her staff and two wispy beams of green energy shot out of it, each flying towards one of the girls. The energy streams caught both Elsa and Anna around the neck, raising both girls in the air as their legs kicked at the ground beneath them, struggling to break free of Mara's hold. Although the force around their throats wasn't incredibly powerful, they could slowly feel themselves suffocate.

"People like you are too ignorant to understand!" Mara said. "Good and evil. Light and darkness. They are unrelated! Good and light are not the same, neither are evil and darkness. Light and darkness are different forces, forever to clash with each other. Good and evil are moral ideas which are purely based on perspective. Pure does not always mean light and good. I'll purify this world in darkness! It is the more powerful force, anyway. I'm wiping all the evil and good out! There is no place for moral standards under my vision."

"You're crazy!" Anna insulted, wheezing.

"I'm the only sane one here!" Mara argued. "Humanity is what's wrong with the world, and I'm going to change that. But, no one else will listen. You all are too controlled by your idea of keeping humanity striving. You will eventually destroy the earth and there's not a thing you can do then!"

"You blocked the sun." Elsa reminded. "The natural life will all die, you're killing more than just humanity. At the end, there will be nothing left. Is that your vision in saving the world?"

"Silence!" Mara bellowed. She thrust her staff forward, sending Anna and Elsa against the wall. "Children who know nothing can understand nothing!"

Elsa almost accidentally smirked when she saw that Mara wasn't focusing on her hands. Aiming the palm of her right hand at Mara while the arm was still next to her thighs, Elsa charged up a snowy blast of ice which was sure to freeze anything it touched. She wasn't aiming for Mara, though. Elsa needed to freeze Mara's source of power and the one thing that was keeping the girls hanging against the wall.

It was too late for Mara to realize what Elsa had done. The blast of ice flew through the air quickly, hitting Mara's hand where she gripped the staff. It didn't necessarily hurt her and all she felt was a cold force pushing against her hand, but starting from where the blast impacted, the staff was engulfed in a layer of ice, including Mara's own hand. The energy coming out of it stopped and Elsa and Anna fell to their knees.

Mara hit the butt of the staff against the ground with a lot of force, attempting to shatter the ice. Only cracks appeared near the bottom where the staff hit the ground, however. Elsa took this time to turn things into her advantage. She couldn't wait for Anna since she was busy coughing and getting herself back together.

While running towards an occupied Mara, Elsa flicked her wrist and a sword of ice appeared in her hand. It was too late for Mara to do anything about Elsa's attack. The ice queen stabbed Mara through the chest with the icy blade. She then slid back, expecting Mara to explode or disintegrate or anything of the sorts. Mara's face showed horror as she looked down at the sword which was buried into her chest. Elsa and Anna smirked.

The part of the blade sticking out of Mara's back, however, had no blood on it at all. It was as if Mara had no blood in her body whatsoever. Elsa and Anna's smile faded when they realized Mara had just started to laugh. Laughing was never one of the things one would do after he or she had just been stabbed through the chest.

Elsa gritted her teeth and lunged at Mara, fists raised. But, Mara smacked Elsa away with the frozen staff, and because of that, the ice all around the staff shatter, freeing it and Mara's hand. Elsa's body rolled next to Anna after she was hit, the younger sister supporting the eldest after she had stopped rolling.

Mara used her free hand to pull the sword out of her chest, the wound healing instantly. It looked like nothing was ever there afterword. Mara examined the blade that pierced her and spun it in her hand after she finished looking at the blade. After that, she squeezed on the handle so tightly that the entire sword shattered into tiny pieces of ice which made a jungle as each piece hit the floor.

"You don't know when you're beat." Mara informed.

She shot blast of darkness at the girls, but they managed to dodge it by both rolling to opposite sides. The blast was so powerful that it left a crater in the ground where it impacted. Who knew what it would do if it hit a person? Luckily for the girls, they avoided that gruesome pain.

Elsa and Anna locked eyes as they dodged Mara's attacks all around the room. Mara was too busy trying to kill them to realize that they were trying to figure out a way to take her down. It still wasn't obvious when Elsa pointed towards her own forehead, informing Anna to aim for the head. If a sword could drive itself through Mara's brain, could she recover. She had proven that she was impenetrable.

A blast of ice came towards Mara's head in Elsa's attempt to distract her. She was easily able to dodge it by blocking the attack with the tip of her staff. However, the top part of the staff was covered in an icy layer. Hitting Mara with the ice wasn't the plan, however. Elsa was just the distracting, making Anna the hitter.

Anna's footsteps proved to be their plan's undoing, unfortunately. Mara heard the heavy footsteps and shaking of metal behind her. Mara swung her staff and spun around, hitting Anna's chest with the icy part of the staff, shattering the ice. Anna flew back and hit the wall, leaving Elsa still standing.

Seeing as though Mara was busy looking at Anna, Elsa used this distraction to sprint quickly towards Mara and lunge with a new sword. She swung the sword downward, aiming for the top of Mara's skull. Mara was prepared, because before Elsa could hit the head with the blade, Mara swung around raised her staff up horizontally with both hands over her head.

The sword shattered upon impact on the staff. Elsa, now unarmed, was grabbed by the throat by a surprisingly powerful Mara. Mara then lifted her up off of the ground, her feet kicking beneath her. Slowly, Elsa could feel herself lose oxygen. Every tiny squeeze of a breath was a battle in itself.

Mara dropped her staff and in her hand appeared a see-through, sharp edged, purple stick of energy. It looked to serve just as well as any sword or spear.

"You should've accepted your death long ago." Mara taunted.

Elsa was about to lose all hope, but at the corner of her eye, she could've swore she saw Bloom fly into the room.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a comment/review to let me know what you think.

This chapter was one of those chapters I had to cut short and add to the beginning of the next chapter because it would be too long in the end. And yes, there was the f-word in this chapter. However, this will be the first, last, and only time I will use it for this story. Expect a chapter every 5-7 days now.

Ciao.


	46. End Game - The Falls

**End Game - The Falls**

* * *

Bloom intervened just in time to stop Mara from impaling Elsa with her weapon. The fairy flew behind Mara's head and grabbed the ends of her hair, pulling with all the strength she could muster. Mara was utterly, completely, and hilariously surprised by this. Bloom was much stronger than she looked. Since she was taken by surprise, the weapon in her hand disappeared. Not only did Mara get a pain in her scalp where her hair was being pulled, but she was pulled back and fell on her back. Her grip loosened on Elsa's throat, coughing as the she fell to her knees.

Anna couldn't help but laugh from where she was. She would pay everything Arendelle owned to see Mara fall down on her back over and over again, all because of a fairy no bigger than a closed fist. It was the least that Mara deserved, and truly, it was the least. Mara's fate must be much more severe than a slight tug if the sky would return to what it normally was.

Bloom flew over Mara's face, a smug smile upon her mouth. Mara stared at the fairy with eyes full of disgust and anger. She was absolutely livid about the fact that she was taken down by something that used to be a butterfly. However, as Bloom stuck out her tongue at Mara, the harbinger grabbed the little fairy with her free hand and squeezed tightly.

"Leave her alone!" Anna demanded. The princess jumped up at ran at Mara who was busy getting up. Unfortunately for Anna, Mara swept her staff at Anna's feet, making Anna fall on her back. Her head hit the hard ground, making Anna's vision go blurry and a constant buzz in her ears. Elsa was too busy catching her breath to do anything about that.

"Wretched, insignificant, despicable, annoying little brat!" Mara insulted as she stood up.

There was obvious pain in Bloom's face. She tried to move, but her arms, wings, and legs were deemed incapacitated by Mara's fingers. Fairies had the tiniest bones, and if they could be broken, Mara was trying her best to do just that. Bloom's tiny feet kicked under the bottom of Mara's hand. Elsa, not able to hear the sight of Bloom in pain like that, shot a blast of ice at Mara, futile of course. Mara simply sidestepped it while grabbing Elsa with a beam using her staff.

"How much force do you think it'll take me to snap that pretty neck of yours?" Mara asked Bloom. "How many fingers do you think I'll need?"

Of course, Bloom couldn't answer. She couldn't speak, no matter how much she tried. Yet, she understood every single word Mara was saying. She knew exactly how well things would end up for her. All she could hope for was for Mara to grant her something quick. The pain was too much to endure.

"Silence in life just as you will be in death." Mara smirked.

"Witch!" Echoed a loud voice from outside. Whatever enhancement made to the voice was obviously magical. It miraculously echoed throughout the entire battle, forcing every single person and spawn to stop their fighting for just a moment and look over to where they all thought the voice came from.

Elsa and Anna recognized the voice as that of someone they thought gone. Perhaps he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"What now?" Mara asked, annoyed. She then threw Bloom on the ground at her feet, walking away as if Bloom was never a problem to her at all. "I just asked for one thing. One thing! And that was world domination and the absolute annihilation of a species. Not much of a request. But no! The humans have to rebel and make things more difficult for me for the sake of "We want to live!" People are so rude these days. I'm justified in doing this."

Mara was forced to let go of her magical grasp on Elsa as she walked outside to her balcony. Looking down, she turned her eyes towards where everyone was facing and that was at a larger opening to the forest. From where she was standing, all that was there were a bunch of large rocks.

She knew much better than that, though. An entire colony's worth of Mara's second most hated species in the world stood at the edge of the forest. They all carried blunt weapons and a bag of magical items. The trolls weren't very fond of sharp violence. Actually, they weren't very fond of violence at all. However, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Standing at the head of the trolls were two people: Rollo and Arthar. Arthar was the one who made the cry to Mara.

"Three thousand years ago, it was trolls and humans who defeated you and your army, dark harbinger!" Arthar announced once again with his seemingly omniscient voice. "Today, it will be trolls and humans to again defeat you! For as long as we trolls and humans stand, there will always be a way to bring back the light!"

With that, the trolls charged into battle. Some rolled while others waddled on their feet, but all had hostile intentions. The brief minute of cease between the armies ended and the sounds of swords swinging and hitting darkness continued to fill the air. That and the sound of men dying in agony.

"Then I'll just have to make sure none of you stand." Mara muttered.

Before she could turn around, Elsa ran up and tackled Mara from behind, forcing the two to fall from the balcony. Mara cursed as she plummeted down at an incredible speed, but Elsa had a look of determination on her. The queen kicked Mara away, and since she was freed, she created an ice slide under her feet.

"I hope you fall straight to hell." Elsa angrily said to Mara.

The closer Mara got to the ground, the higher Elsa got her hopes up. Mara wasn't going to face death that anti-climatically, though. Before touching the ground, Mara turned into a black wisp that flew away from the castle and into the thick of the battlefield.

Back in the top floor of the palace, Anna ran towards Bloom who lay motionless on the ground. The princess picked up the injured fairy very carefully, making sure not to harm what was broken and fragile. One wrong flick of a finger could crush Bloom's bones completely since each bone was as skinny as a toothpick.

Silent coughs came out of Bloom's mouth along with the jerks of her chest. Anna gently put her finger over Bloom's chest and stroked it, motioning to the fairy that it was going to be okay. However, Bloom's very appearance contradicted that idea. Her skin was getting grayer and the color of her skin tight clothes began to blacken. Her wings began to shrivel lose their blue color.

"Stay with me." Anna ordered the fairy. "We'll get you to the trolls and you'll be fixed up in no time."

Bloom replied with a hopeless smile. Anna should've been realized by the fact that Bloom refused to let go, however, she knew what that smile really meant: Bloom had come to terms with her death. At least Bloom wasn't going to die grasping for the small spark of life she had left in her.

"No." Anna whispered, shedding a tear. The droplet landed in her hand, next to Bloom's arm. "Why did you do it?" She asked. "You attacked her even though you knew it would mean almost nothing."

Her sacrifice was not in vain, however. Sure, to Mara, the fairy was merely a tiny obstacle for her to take down which she absolutely did, unfortunately. But, if it wasn't for the distraction, Elsa and probably Anna too wouldn't have been breathing at that moment. Her insignificant action saved the lives of both girls. Anna wanted to make sure that Bloom's life would never be in vain.

"You didn't have to..." Anna muttered, crying some more.

Out of Bloom's small mouth came out a quiet, high pitched sound which Anna realized to be Bloom saying "No." Her eyes widened with surprise. She thought it wasn't possible for a young fairy like Bloom to ever be able to speak. Rollo said that it was just a small possibility. When dying, it seems, one would do anything live life to the fullest even if it was just for a few seconds.

"We..." Bloom said. "Are... Friends..."

Anna's tears were followed by a smile, but that smile soon turned into a frown when Bloom closed her eyes and turned her head over. Her entire body went limp as all the life in her faded. Her skin was a stormy gray and her clothes were a coal black.

Anna wept into her hands, her tears creating a puddle around the deceased fairy. Her distress was momentarily halted when Bloom's entire body began to glow a blinding white. It was just about the first light Anna had seen since Mara created the sky of shadows. Although it was very childish of her, Anna hoped that this light would mean that Bloom was coming back to life.

She could only hope.

However, when the light stopped and ceased, Bloom's body disappeared. Nothing was there in Anna's hand except for her tears and a blue butterfly.

"Bloom?" Anna asked the butterfly.

There was no response. There obviously couldn't be. The blue insect simply flapped its wings and flew out of Anna's hand as the princess watched it's every move. Soon, it made its way outside through the balcony exit, flying through the air until Anna couldn't see it anymore.

She let out a smile. "Goodbye, friend."

With that, Anna turned and ran towards the stairs where she hoped to go down and look for Elsa.

* * *

Her eyes weren't keen enough to spot Mara in the midst of all the chaos. Elsa stood at the foot of the palace in front of the doors, standing over a row of corpses. The men she had put in charge of guarding the palace doors had all been killed doing their task. Their throats were bloody with slits and punctures. Elsa couldn't bring herself to look at any of them for more than a minute. Their sacrifice was painful to think about.

Elsa heard footsteps behind her. Not taking any chances, she created an ice sword and spun around, pointing the tip at whoever it was. Luckily for Anna, Elsa's sword was a good few inches away from her throat. At least Anna had armor covering it so there was a possibility that there would be no clean cut through.

"Sorry." Elsa apologized. "You can't be too certain what's behind you here."

"Mara?" Anna asked.

"She flew away while we were falling in mid-air." Elsa admitted. "Should've known that a fall would not be her end."

"Are you sure that killing Mara is the only way?" Anna questioned, not that she was at all against the idea. "Neither of us have ever killed a person before, and now is not the best time to start."

"Anna, look around you!" Elsa ordered. "We're not children anymore. We can't let moral standings get in the way of victory. Remember, the sky is tied to Mara's life force, and as long as she is gone, then there won't be a darkness."

"Okay, Elsa, I get it." Anna said. Even when she had even more of a reason to kill Mara, Anna still didn't think that blood was the best way to end it. The only way may not always be the happiest way. She may very well have been the only person in the battlefield to not mutilate every limb in Mara's body, but Anna was pure like that.

"Where's Bloom?" Elsa asked Anna. She didn't need Anna to answer I order to know what happened, however. Anna's eyes were still red from crying. Her mouth was still in a state of a slight frown. She was just mourning, and Elsa knew the only person Anna was mourning for.

"Just another reason to make Mara pay." Elsa said.

"Girls!" Cried Arthar from the thick of battle.

Both Elsa and Anna turned their heads towards the direction from where they heard Arthar's voice. They both were incredibly surprised by exactly what they say. It seemed that the troll had some skills which he kept under wraps the entire time because, despite his age, he was every bit of a warrior as anyone else.

Arthar waddled towards the girls with his staff in hand. A large spawn caught sight of him and slowly approached the living rock, believing it easy to just smash the troll into pieces. Unfortunately for the hostile, Arthar swung his staff over the ground, knocking the spawn on its back. He then slammed the end of the staff incredibly hard against the spawn's head, making it disappear almost instantly.

Three other small spawns saw Arthar take out their comrade and jumped at the troll at the same time, forming a triangle around him. Arthar didn't bother to look at them when he spun his staff around him in the air, hitting all three spawns, sending them to the side, and forcing them to hit other hostile creatures.

A second large spawn caught Arthar in its line of sight. It charged at the small thing, and just as it was about to run over Arthar, the troll used his staff as a vaulting pole over the spawn. He pulled his staff upward in midair so the dark creature wouldn't touch it. Arthar then turned around while in the air, facing the back of the spawn. Quickly, he whispered something, and a blast of fire came out of the staff, hitting the spawn's back and reducing it to nothing.

Arthar dropped his staff and rolled into a ball as he landed to avoid any cracks that may happen. He then picked up his staff and continued to make his way to the girls who were still in awe.

"Where were you?" Elsa asked the old troll.

"I tried making my way back to the only home I thought I had left." Arthar answered. "With these feet, the journey took much longer than it needed to be. When I arrived at the Valley of the Living Rock, I was told you had started a war and were in the Field of Flight. Then, the fairy came and used charades to get us to help. She is a smart fairy, that one."

"Was." Anna informed.

"Oh dear." Arthar said, sorrow on his face. "I'm so sorry for your loss. By the end of this day, she will be avenged. But, the only way to do that is with the sword of light. Do you have it?"

"We _had _it." Elsa pointed out. "The entire time, it was located at your mountain, Arthar."

"How foolish of me to not know." Arthar muttered.

"But, when I went to grab it, the blade turned to dust." Elsa continued. "The sword is lost, and there's no way we can use it."

"Fools!" Arthar insulted. "Are you too blind to see the problem? Are you too ignorant to remember the technicalities?"

"Enlighten us, then, Arthar." Anna requested.

"The story said that Ludicium can only be wielded by someone who is pure of heart." Arthar explained. "Elsa's heart obviously wasn't pure. No wonder why she couldn't wield it. There was nothing wrong with the weapon, only the wielder! Eh, no offense."

"None taken." Elsa replied. "It's good to know that there's a little bad in me. But, who do you propose can use it?"

Arthar answered by looking up at Anna. Elsa nodded in agreement and followed his example. It made perfect sense for them to think the way they did. The princess wasn't much one for violence and would want to settle things down as peacefully and humanely as possible. She did not harbor much contempt towards any one person, despite all that person may or may not have done to her.

She was incredibly surprised when they both looked at her. Out of all the people to use the legendary sword, Anna believed that she was the least capable. But, perhaps that's exactly why she was the best one to fill in those shoes.

"My heart isn't that pure." Anna said.

"Humble." Arthar stated. "Good sign for a pure heart. Yes, Anna, I believe you are capable."

"You can do this." Elsa assured,

"But-"

"I pray you kept the sword." Arthar said.

"We did." Elsa confirmed. "I don't have it on me at this moment, but..."

Elsa and Anna locked eyes and said at the same time: "Where's Kai?!"

* * *

"AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" Screamed Kai as the dragon regurgitated him upward.

The dragon wasn't able to swallow Kai completely, forcing it to choke out the man while in the air. If only Kai were willing to go inside, then eating him would've been so much easier. But, Kai struggled as he was inside the dragon's throat, even going as far as to burn the insides of the throat. That was the final straw for the dragon to spit him out.

Kai was completely covered in the dragon's slimy saliva, or whatever liquid that was in the dragon's mouth. His hair was straightened against his forehead, covering some of his eyes.

"What are you supposed to eat?" Kai asked from above.

He then spun in a fiery vortex as he began his descend from the air. When the fire ceased around him, his clothes and hair were more or less dried, but he still had the uncomfortable feeling of slimy saliva on him. It would take a little bit for Kai to get used to since he never had the pleasure of being eaten whole by a dragon.

He noticed that the dragon was coughing and thrashing its neck around. It took a whole second for Kai to realize what the dragon was doing: reacting to Kai's fiery attacks while in the throat. While he was slowly sliding through the stomach, he used his hands and pressed fire against the inside of the throat. The fire was the only source of light in an otherwise pitch black throat.

There was much more to the story than that. Before he was regurgitated out, he realized for a moment that the part of the throat touched by fire started to burn off like paper, although it didn't necessarily spread very far. He was spit out before he could do any more internal damage.

The exterior and skin of the dragon was tough and nearly impossible to harm from the outside due to its regenerative abilities. Kai could spend all die throwing fire at it, and it sure as hell would still be standing. However, from the inside, the creature was vulnerable. If he could reach the inside from the outside, he would be golden. Kai wasn't entirely fond of that idea, though. It could well be suicide, but then again, isn't every crazy idea he had?

Kai shifted his body in the air so that he was straight and facing downwards. Like a drill, he shot downward at a great speed with flames surrounding him in a vortex. Hidden in the flames, he reached for his sword which was strapped to his waist. The dragon was too busy recovering from its sore throat to notice Kai coming at it from above.

When it finally looked up, the vortex of fire was gone. Only when Kai stabbed the bottom of its jaw did it realize where Kai really was: beneath it. The fire user hovered under the dragon's head with his hand around the blade which pierced through the dragon's mouth. The blade wasn't long enough to rip through its upper mouth, however. Still, the dragon roared in pain with a sword stuck to its jaw.

Kai yanking it out made the pain die down and worsen for a second. He didn't think it best to stick around anymore under the chin of the dragon, so he glided away from the dragon and propelled himself upward, landing on the back of the creature who was still thrashing around like a crazed snake.

Stabbing the dragon's back was the next part of Kai's master plan. He made a large cut in the dragon's back, but it immediately started to regenerate and close itself. Kai was quicker than that, though. Right after the cut, he engulfed a hand in flames and punched through his made wound, opening his palm while inside. As it healed, it roared in pain. Kai luckily yanked his hand out of the dragon before the dragon's wound would close itself around his wrist.

"From the inside..." Kai muttered.

He ran across the back while the dragon flew in the sky, doing its best to shake Kai off. Whenever the dragon pushed his body hard enough to make Kai's footing screw up, he simply stabbed his sword in the back for support. As an added bonus, that caused pain to the dragon. When he felt that he didn't need the sword, he unsheathed it.

The runway got narrower and narrower as he reached the neck of the dragon. He had to be most careful there since that's where the dragon had a lot of control. The worst part of treading on top of the neck was keeping the balance, but he managed just fine by extending his hands. In one of his hands, he created a ball of fire, kind of like a grenade, separate to his hand.

When he reached the dragon's head, he jumped off of it so that his body would pass through the dragon's line of sight. He spun around after leaping, facing the dragon.

"Enjoy your present!" Kai ordered. "Don't play with it too hard."

He threw the fiery grenade into one of the dragon's large nostrils. Quickly, Kai glided away, using one hand as propulsion to go in one direction must faster. Behind, he could hear his grenade go off because of the sound of blowing flames. Hopefully, that did some real damage to the dragon. Surely it went far enough to destroy the head from the inside.

"Aw, already!" Kai mocked.

Kai was about one hundred meters away when he finally turned around, hovering over the trees far beneath him. The dragon, unfortunately, was not killed by the fire but rather fazed for a moment. When it shook its head, it's vision refocused on Kai who was a fair distance ahead. If it didn't have wings, it would've given up then and there. Alas, it did have wings.

"If this doesn't work, on my gravestone, they'll write "Death By Digestion." Kai murmured.

Like a bullet, Kai surrounded himself in fire, and shot through the air. The dragon flew straight towards him, opening its mouth wide as a threatening roar. However, it didn't expect Kai to break the distance that quickly. By then time the dragon had closed its mouth, it was too late. Kai had already shot into it.

It stopped moving right there, staying idle but hovering over the ground. The entire throat area was in pain, and the burning sensation from the inside spread through the rest of its body. It then realized that it was expanding from the inside. There was a yellowish glow from under its skin.

There, in midair, the dragon was destroyed from an inner explosion of fire. The entire area around the dragon and the creature itself was engulfed in a powerful inferno of flames. People down at the Field of Flight far away could see the "fireworks" from where they were standing.

"What the hell is that?" Elsa asked Anna.

"I'll bet we both know who is responsible for that." Anna answered.

From the explosion shot out a comet of fire. Inside was a dazed Kai, disoriented by the entire ordeal. The explosion forced him to shoot out diagonally upward through the air until he almost touched the black sky. From there, he began his fall of fire. He was knocked so far, in fact, that he was headed straight towards Arendelle itself. At least he was aimed down at the sea.

Kai wasn't looking at where he was landing, however. The sky was all he could pay attention to. His vision was tainted in flames and to top that off, it was incredibly blurry. His ears were buzzing and it hurt him more than it should've. Even his clothes were somewhat tattered, and they were meant to take even the worst of flames.

He lost full consciousness when he splash landed into the water, taking out the flames.

* * *

When he came to, he found himself laying on the deck of a ship, entirely soaked. He coughed out all the water that went inside of him and that just added to the puddle he was already laying in.

Surrounding him were men dressed in standard issue armor, looking down at Kai with relief.

"Where... Where am I?" Kai muttered to the crowd.

"Arendelle's Jeweled ship." Answered a familiar voice from the crowd.

A tall man with black hair, brown eyes, and a bow slung over his shoulder entered the circle formed around Kai. He then towered over Kai, standing in front of his feet.

"Rhys?" Kai asked.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, brother." Rhys smiled, offering his hand.

Weakly, Kai accepted the offer, and was pulled up and back on his feet. He felt around his waist and found that his sword, dagger, and handle of Ludicium were still right where he left them.

"How long have I been out?" Kai asked Rhys.

"Few minutes." Rhys answered. "A man jumped out and got you right as you splashed down. Took him a bit to drag you over here since you're heavier than you look."

When Kai turned his head, he realized that he was surrounded by countless other ships, all filled with armed men. The amount of men altogether was four times the amount of what Arendelle had, and that meant they could easily overpower Mara's forces, assuming she didn't summon anymore and was otherwise preoccupied.

"You've been busy." Kai complimented.

"Kai." Said Lyre's voice.

Kai turned around to see the leaders and representative leaders standing side to side behind him: Rapunzel, Eugene, King Lyre, and King Ander, all armored and prepared for battle. Compared to everyone else around him, Kai was incredibly and undoubtedly underdressed for the fight. But, he didn't need to be in mint condition to do some damage. Look at what just happened to the dragon.

"Our men are ready to stand by you." Ander promised. "Although you may have already started the fight, we can still end it together."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a comment/review to let me know what you think!

I'm going to warn you all right now that this chapter and the next few chapters will be a little "Game of Thrones-y." I shouldn't have to explain what that means since everyone should know why that show is so infamous. And no, it's not for the rated MA stuff.

I'd say we're about halfway done with the climax by now, so we're nearing an end to the story. There will be a two or three week break for me before I start writing the prequel which I will try to finish before summer is over. My other project will be a school-year project like A Sky of Shadows, meaning that it'll take me all school year to write, probably.

Ciao.


	47. End Game - The Six Armies

**End Game - The Six Armies**

* * *

The sight of a row of five men launched into the air and crashing down onto the ground was a huge red flag for where Mara was. Only she could possess the power to hurt that many men at the same time. Well, Kai and Elsa could've done that too, but seeing as how friendly fire was frowned upon in battle, the odds of it being them were incredibly slim.

Kristoff was both lucky and unlucky to spot Mara in the thick of the crowd, defeating every man and woman who got in her way. She showed no mercy to anyone who weren't her own spawns. There was no discrimination between people. To Mara, it was just the darkness and the flesh, and the flesh had to all be destroyed if she were to achieve her dream.

Kristoff pointed over at Mara, making sure Sven saw his finger. However, instead of rushing straight towards the harbinger, Sven looked up at Kristoff and gave him an uneasy look. He then realized that Sven was much wiser than him right then and there. Sven had a gist of how things would play out if they approached Mara with no idea on how to defeat her. He knew their limits in battle, and those limits did not include Mara in them.

"If we don't do anything, she'll slaughter all of them." Kristoff argued.

"She'll slaughter us too if we run in there." Sven said using Kristoff's voice.

"Then what do propose we do, Sven?" Kristoff asked.

There was a small spawn standing near the bickering duo. It hesitated to attack since it was too busy wondering whether or not its target was sane or crazy. It decided the latter, and attacking a crazy man would never usually end well as they would never have any reason. So, the spawn just waddled away. It wasn't long before its head was slashed by a warrior's sword.

"We need to wait for someone more capable than us." Sven suggested. "We need powerful reinforcements if we're to attempt to attack her."

"Who are we waiting for?" Kristoff asked. "Elsa and Anna are God knows where. The trolls are too slow to get over here in time. And Kai is nowhere to be found after that explosion in the sky half an hour ago."

"I'm not letting you go in there to die." Sven said. "No offense, but we have to wait for someone who has a good chance."

All around the edges of the field were the sounds of three distinct horns, all being blown at the same time. Everyone stopped their fighting and turned over to different edges of the field. However, their eyes met with nothing but the seemingly emptiness of the forest. There was not a single other person in sight (save for one), nor was there anyone visible to have blown the horns.

Only one man stood at the edge of the forest, standing on a tiny hill so that he was just about visible to see for everyone. It was none other than, of course, Kai, with his singed clothes and drawn weapons in both hands.

"Speak of the devil." Sven said.

Kristoff playfully smacked Sven's neck lightly. Remind me to listen to you more often, Kristoff thought. This was always like Kai: coming in at the very last second to save the day. It was the most annoying yet most spectacular thing about him. But, perhaps if he ever came in to end the fights earlier, than less people would have to pay the price. Alas, beggars can't be choosers.

"Mara!" Kai called.

Every spawn surrounded Mara formed a circle around her, protecting her at all costs. They gave frightening taunts to whoever dared to step closer to their master. Mara was well protected during this small hiccup of the battle, so if anyone tried to take advantage of Kai's temporary distraction, they were sure to pay in blood at the end. People weren't as dumb as that, though. They all understood that if Kai wanted to speak to Mara, it wasn't their place to prevent a conversation.

A conversation is exactly what Mara was interested in. It made her rather amused to have a second person call her out in the midst of war. When the trolls did so, they barely offered any help in the battle. All she saw was Kai: one man. All he could offer was something to warm bread.

"I was wondering where the shepard of the flock of rats was up to." Mara stated. "Although it is good to see a friendly face like yours, I'm afraid I'll still need to kill you like the rest."

"That what you ordered your dragon to do?" Kai taunted.

"It was meant to make it so that your corpse couldn't be recognized." Mara admitted. "I underestimated you. Mark my words when I say that I won't make the same mistake again."

Anna, Elsa, and Arthar watched with confusion at what they were seeing. What reason did Kai have to stop all the fighting? If he wanted to talk, he really didn't need to make everyone stay their hands for a bit. If anything, Kai was wasting time... Or stalling. Or, perhaps he was doing something incredibly dramatic, just the way he liked things.

"What is that fool doing?" Arthar asked.

"Exactly what you did almost an hour ago." Elsa pointed out.

"Thank you, Elsa." Arthar said, sarcastically. "Except I had an army when I did mine. The fool barely has anything but the blades in his hands."

"And the weapon of Mara's destruction on his waist." Anna whispered.

The three had their conversation while Mara was speaking her threats to Kai, stating all the ways she was going to mutilate him alive and how she might even keep him alive as a pet for torture. Her words became more and more vulgar the longer she rambled on, and so long in fact, that some could swear Kai was beginning to lose his eyes and snore.

"I'll give him credit for being more mature than most people." Arthar admitted. "His silence is a sign of wisdom, and the very fact that he isn't biting back proves that his patience is powerful. Perhaps he'll make a good leader after all."

When Mara finished talking, everyone saw Kai hold up his hand and lift a certain finger. One finger to be exact, and it wasn't his pinkie, his thumb, his index, or his ring finger.

"And now he's back at square one." Arthar said. "Didn't realize how quickly respect could diminish."

"You sure know how to pick your Romeos." Anna joked.

"Shh!" Elsa ordered.

"On second thought," Mara yelled at Kai, "perhaps I'll remove all your fingers one by one until you have none left except that one. Then, we'll see who's laughing. Do you know how painful the removal of nine fingers is?"

"Jokes on you, I already lost one." Kai angrily joked. "But, that's not the point! The point is that I'm going to make sure that every life lost today is paid back by you."

Mara chuckled. "You can try, boy. But, I'm afraid you'll need a bit more than this pathetic army of yours to stop me."

"You're right about that." Kai complimented. "Hey Rhys!"

Out of the forest came Kai's brother, Rhys Yeager, with his bow in his hand with an arrow notched. Mara seemed unmoved by the sudden appearance. The addition of a pawn is insignificant, but as Mara should've realized, pawns can change the game if used correctly.

"Brother." Rhys regarded. "I believe there is someone in the crowd who has overstayed her welcome. What are we to do?"

Kai put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. All around the edges of the forest entered soldiers with weapons drawn. There were three different colored clothes for the different faction of soldiers: black for Teranhall, purple for Corona, and white for the Southern Isles. The Arendelle soldiers wore green themselves. There was no mistaking the distinction between the different armies.

However, they all were mixed and were not standing in an organized manner. The soldiers were just that: soldiers. There was no discrimination in the battlefield. It was just the resistance and the darkness.

The people of Arendelle cheered as the reinforcements stood at the edge of the forest. The spawns, if they could show worry, might as well have been worried. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and the trolls couldn't help but join the cheers. Elsa had her eyes specifically on Kai, even if he wasn't focusing all of his attention on her,

Joining Kai and Rhys on the small hill were King Lyre of Teranhall, King Ander of the Southern Isles, Princess Rapunzel of Corona, and last but not least, Eugene Fitzherbert of Corona. All with weapons ready. Rapunzel had the strangest choice for a weapon. The frying pan was not usually found in any battles.

"We're gonna bring back heaven by unleashing hell!" Kai announced.

At his charge, every soldier ran down from the edge of the forest to enter the battle. The spawns then continued to fight off Arendelle and the trolls, not dumb enough to just charge at the coming soldiers directly. Sooner or later, the numbers of spawns will diminish, assuming Mara didn't summon anymore. However, she was preoccupied at that moment.

Kai and Rhys both charged ahead of the leaders of each kingdom, ready to be an example of how people should be fighting. Side by side, they were an extraordinary combination of warriors. It was as if they knew each other's plans of attack. They entered the thick of the fight, surrounded by Arendelle soldiers fighting spawns.

Using his sword, Kai cut through a spawn while at the same time using his fire to burn another. A small spawn leapt in the air, coming down towards Kai, but Rhys already had an arrow notched. He shot the spawn through the head with his bow, and the arrow flew through the air until it landed on the back of a large spawn from far away. Rhys didn't intend to kill two birds with one stone, but he was nothing if not accurate with his shots.

Kai charged directly at a large spawn which was already charging at him, knocking down unaware soldiers while it ran. Instead of just killing it with fire, Kai let out a battle cry and ran at it directly, but not showing any sign on using his weapons. When he was right in front of the spawn, he dropped and slid on the ground, through the gap between its legs. The spawn looked down back at Kai behind him, incredibly confused. It didn't see Rhys' arrow fly straight at its face.

"Special present!" Rhys announced.

That signal told Kai to slide once again. While he slid, an arrow flew over his body, and mid slide, Kai shot a flame at its tip. The fiery arrow ripped through a line of unsuspecting spawns all standing side by side against a small group of Arendelle's warriors.

When Kai got back up, he found himself running side by side with his brother once again. A large spawn on Kai's right reached out at him with an open hand, but he swung his sword hand at the neck of the spawn, and that was the end of it. Rhys was met by the same threat, but he used his bow to trip the large menacing spawn. While it was on the ground, Kai quickly turned back and shot a blast of fire at it, burning it in the blink of an eye.

"I must say that this violence is the most fun I've had in years." Rhys admitted.

"Aren't you religious?" Kai inquired.

"Exactly why this is fun." Rhys added. "The nuns wouldn't approve of this."

"They sound like fun at parties." Kai said as he grabbed a leaping spawn's head and burning it completely.

Rhys scooped up a spawn with his bow and it flew up high in the air. While up there, Kai shot a blast of fire at it, killing it. Rhys had already prepared an arrow, but it seemed too late to kill it. Luckily for the archer, Kai was feeling a little more generous. As they were running towards a large spawn who had its attention on an injured soldier, Kai grabbed it by the shoulders and threw it to his left, in front of Rhys.

Before Rhys could run into it, he shot his arrow through the creature's head, making it diminish before anything harmful could come to him.

"Rude." Rhys scolded.

"Over there." Kai pointed towards Elsa, Anna, and Arthar, all standing back to back, repelling incoming spawns. They were both surprised to see Arthar handle himself that well in combat. Actually, they were even surprised to see Arthar well himself.

In the distance, they could see Kristoff and Sven ride around different pairs of opponents. Kristoff used his staff by swinging it by his side, taking out as many spawns as he could without hitting any friendlies. If he were to ever accidentally hurt a person on his side, then the consequences may very well be disastrous. Luckily for him, he wasn't a complete fool on how to use a staff.

Sven reached Anna and the others at about the same time Kai and Rhys ran there. Kristoff slid off of Sven in a swift motion, the sound of his shaking armor filling the air. When his feet touched the ground, he instantly groaned and fell onto one knee. Anna noticed how close Kristoff was and knelt beside him, putting her arm over his shoulder. Everyone could see the problem: his calf was wounded. The armor over his calf was red and wet with blood.

"It's just a scratch." Kristoff insisted, gritting his teeth when he moved his leg a bit. "I'll be fine."

"Even in battle, we can't risk it getting infected." Anna said. "Arthar, do you know any healing spells?"

"Not on the go." Arthar admitted, smacking a jumping spawn away with his staff.

"Well, if we're going to do something, we better do it quick." Elsa rushed. She grabbed a small spawn which ran at her by the head. As it slashed around in her hand, she froze its body completely, reducing it to nothing more than a frozen sculpture. She then threw the body at the head of a large spawn quite a distance away, shattering the ice and killing the larger creature.

"We need to cauterize it." Kai told the others. "Remove the armor."

Anna pulled the metal off of Krisotff's calf, exposing the thin clothes beneath. There was a huge dark red stain around his exposed wound which looked like it went deep. Kristoff gritted his teeth, prepared for the pain about to come. He knew better than to deny healing his wound. Everyone needed him in his best condition, and if this were all that it took to get him better, than he'll gladly accept the pain.

"How much will it hurt?" Kristoff asked.

"Not much at all..." Kai answered. He pulled out his dagger and heated the metal until it glowed yellow and orange at the edges. Steam rose out from the metal of the blade.

"That's a relief." Kristoff said, calming himself down a bit.

"After the wound is healed, that is." Kai finished. The look on Kristoff's eyes were priceless when Kai finished his sentence. He pressed the metal down against the wound, making Kristoff scream in silence. The smell of burning flesh filled the air around them, and the clothes began to singe and blacken and burn.

Kristoff held Anna's hand the entire time, squeezing it tightly which made Anna flinch. Elsa, Arthar, and Rhys stood in a large triangle around the other three, defending with all they could. Rhys could feel that his quiver was much lighter than it started out as, meaning that his supply of arrows was not too far from being empty.

"Not so bad, right?" Kai asked, taking the blade away from the calf. Kai didn't have to point out that that was a rhetorical question. "Now, that's going to leave a nasty scar."

"We have more important things to worry about." Anna interrupted. "Can you stand?"

She helped her husband stand up with him putting his arm over her shoulder. Anna then motioned to Sven to come and get Kristoff who didn't have a very hard time getting on top. His upper body strength made things a bit easier for him. And after he was on, Anna grabbed Kristoff's greaves and put them back on while he sat. Believing that he would get in their way, Kristoff ran off with Sven, making Anna curse after him. He was back in the fight.

Anna then looked down at Kai's waist, noticing the white hilt of their salvation. She started, "Kai, we-"

"Hold that thought." Kai told Anna. He then turned and took long steps towards Elsa who was busy fighting stray spawns coming their way.

As Kai, Elsa, Anna, Rhys, and Arthar fought, they slowly formed a back to back circle next to each other. Kai had Elsa to his left and Rhys to his right, the combination which he thought would best fit for the next few moments.

"Rhys?" Kai asked, shooting a stream of fire at a large spawn until it disintegrated. Tiny spawns who witnessed that lunged out of the way in fear of the flames. Those spawns were undoubtedly the smartest hostiles Kai had faced that day.

"Hm?" Rhys asked, shooting two arrows at once and killing two spawns respectively.

"Did they ever teach you anything about wedding ceremonies at the orphanage?" Kai asked. He threw his dagger like a boomerang and it flew around in front of him in a semicircle, taking out spawns with the spinning blade.

"Is now really the most appropriate time for this inquiry?" Rhys asked, using the short tip of his arrow to stab a close spawn in the head. "And yes, the nuns have taught me a thing or two about how to marry people. Technically, I'm ordained."

"Perfect." Kai said. "Elsa, this might well be the last time we'll see each other."

"Where are you going with this, Kai?" Elsa asked.

"Marry me!" He suggested, grabbing his dagger which flew back at him.

"This can't wait?" Elsa asked, annoyed. She shot a row of icy spikes at a line of back to back spawns who were dodging the attacks of Arendelle soldiers. In a few seconds, it wasn't just Arendelle soldiers they had to worry about.

"No, it can't." Kai insisted. "If I'm going to die, I might as well die married." He shot a fiery grenade into an area with newly spawned spawns. The ball exploded Ina cluster of fire, incinerating the hostiles which stood around it. Good thing that the flames didn't reach any friendly soldiers.

"We're not going to die." Elsa promised. She created two icy swords and slashed them in an x-form, killing a lunging spawn in front of her.

"This may be the only chance we can get." Kai pointed out.

Arthar and Anna were listening to the couple go back and forth with each other, slightly amused, yet incredibly concerned since they didn't want a wedding to distract them from the real threat. Nothing about their wedding could at all be proper, and surely Elsa wanted to have the fanciest wedding imaginable. However, this wedding would for sure be memorable.

"Fine." Elsa agreed, throwing her sword on the ground. She then kicked the blade while the tip was dug in the dirt. The blade broke in half, and the lower part including the handle flew in front of her, impaling a large spawn in the back.

"Rhys, do the honors!" Kai ordered, swing his arm in front of him, making three balls of fire fly towards three different spawns who were in the middle of dancing away from soldiers.

"You're mad!" Rhys insulted. Then he muttered, "Although, I suppose I should've already known that. Very well! Hold hands!"

Kai sheathed his dagger and pulled out his sword. Elsa's weapons disappeared completely, leaving her to use her powers. Kai's left hand grabbed Elsa's right, and the two prepared to defend themselves from the incoming waves of seemingly endless spawns.

"We gather here today," Rhys started, "in the presence of these witnesses, to join Kai Yeager and Queen Elsa in matrimony commended to be-"

"Can you skip ahead a little bit?" Elsa requested. She used her free hand to create an icy spear which she threw at an unprepared spawn, killing it. It then dissolved into snowflakes which were almost unseeable in the dark.

"Does the bride and groom have any vows?" Rhys asked.

"What do you think?" Kai inquired.

"Don't get sassy with me, brother, you're the one who asked for this." Rhys countered.

Kai let out a sigh as he extended his arm to shoot a blast of fire at a scurrying small spawn on the ground. The grass around where the spawn died burned for a little bit but then magically stopped. One of the perks of his powers is that the fire won't spread that easily.

"Elsa, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my probably short life with you." Kai said.

"You know, this would be so much more romantic if we weren't fighting a bloodthirsty army of monsters." Elsa joked. "Kai, you weren't around for a third of the time I have known you, so many getting married will change that."

Rhys pulled out three arrows at a time, feeling his quiver empty as he did so. He shot all three in the air, diagonally upwards. Somewhere far away, the three arrows fell onto the heads of three spawns. His accuracy was ridiculous, and he knew it. He might even go as far as to call himself the greatest archer the world has ever known.

"If there are any objections, speak now or forever hold your piece." Rhys asked an occupied Anna and Arthar.

"Just get on with it!" Arthar ordered. He whispered something into his staff and a blast of white light flew out of the tip of it, hitting a large spawn which was busy crushing a Teranhall soldier with its fists. The light touched the creature, and it turned white instantly, disintegrating right after it.

Anna mostly jabbed the spawns which approached her, seeing as that was the easiest way for her to take them out. She was also incredibly annoyed by the fact that she had to play guardian, although she wouldn't miss the "wedding" for the world.

"Do you, Kai, take Elsa to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Rhys asked.

"I do." Kai answered, throwing a cluster fire grenade at a large spawn about fifty meters in front of him. The spawn foolishly tried to catch it with its hands, but the fire burned right through, leaving it handless. When it exploded, all of the creature was engulfed by the violent inferno.

"And do you, Elsa, take Kai to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Rhys asked.

"I do." Elsa answered, freezing the grassy ground a few ways away, making all the stray running spawns slip and slide on it. When two spawns slammed into each other, she quickly removed the icy path, making sure no soldiers slipped or tripped on it later,

"By the power vested in me," Rhys finished, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Kai and Elsa broke away from their fighting stance and turned to look at each other. Without hesitation, they leaned forward and kissed. Elsa wrapped her arms around Kai's neck, and although that seemed impractical given their current situation, he didn't want to lose a second of the embrace. He wanted to savor every moment with her as much as he could, knowing that day could be his last.

When they broke away, they immediately returned to the fight as if that kissed never happened.

"Happiest day of your life, Elsa." Anna pointed out. "Smile more."

"I'll make sure to do that after people stop dying around us." Elsa promised.

"Never thought I'd see this day." Rhys said. "Are things always so dramatic with you, brother?"

"More or less." Kai confirmed. "We still have a job to do, though, and-"

From behind in the center of their little circle, Mara appeared from nowhere. When she slammed the butt of her staff on the ground, a giant blast of darkness originated from the staff and pushed everyone in the circle back, also hurting them all to an extent in the process.

Kai's clothes got more ruined than they could. Elsa's icy armor began to crack and ruin. Anna's metal got scratched until a lot of it looked like grey lines. Arthar received cracks in his rocky body. Rhys' bow was destroyed and parts of his clothes, including an entire sleeve, were ripped off.

"Kai..." Elsa muttered. She lay right next to him on the ground, both facing downward. She nudged his arm, but he did not respond. Those corner of his forehead was wet and bloody from his own blood.

"How many times must I remind you all?" Mara asked. "You cannot win!"

**To be continued in the next chapter**

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Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a comment/review to let me know what you think!

Finally, you guys got the wedding you've all been waiting for, although I'm sure it wasn't exactly how you imagined it would go like. I took inspiration a little bit from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

Right now, I'm trying to decide whether I truly want to write my prequel before my new story. Since a new episode of GOT the Game came out, I worked my story to somewhat follow what happens in the game. I'm still working out how the story will play out in my mind, but my prequel is thought up of.

So, which one do you guys think I should do first?

Ciao.


	48. End Game - The Light in the Darkness

**End Game - The Light in the Dark**

* * *

Mara raised her staff above her, and all around her, Anna, Kai, Elsa, and Rhys grew walls of darkness protruding from the ground in a circle made of purple energy. Arthar was thrown far away so that he was excluded from the circle. The walls were larger and larger quite quickly, and within seconds, it grew into a large dome with no one inside except for the ones it grew around.

Soldiers from the outside saw what Mara was doing and did their best to try to break it by slamming into it or slashing it with their weapons. The dome was, however, incredibly potent. It's magical properties made whoever trying to break in blast away and are violently thrown back.

Although one would think that they would do better to focus on the spawns, there were only a handful of the spawns left, and they weren't going to last very long. It only took a few minutes for the combined forces of the armies to sweep out remaining spawns. The creatures never stood a chance against such powerful numbers. They were easily outnumbered, and because Mara was so careless in the beginning, that was their downfall.

Already, some were cheering, but only those who didn't see Mara's dome over her enemies. While some cheered, others were playing cat and mouse with the few remaining small spawns which hopped all over the field for their lives. Some men even made an actually game out of it, seeing who can hit them the most without killing them.

If it wasn't for the reinforcements, there was no way Arendelle would've defeated Mara. Luckily, that just wasn't the case. One quick sweep through the battle was all it took to achieve victory over the forces. Unfortunately, victory wasn't won over Mara just yet. As long as there was still a sky of black, green, and purple in the air, there was no true victory. It didn't matter how many spawns were taken down. Mara still had control.

And at that moment, almost nobody had access to Mara. She was alone with four people, and one of which was knocked out cold. There was no way for others to help without breaking into the dome, and that was fairly impossible at the moment. Even if they were able to break the dome, there was no way to know what would happen if they did so. If it were to explode, well, everyone knew what that would mean.

Kristoff wasn't among the men to be celebrating their inevitable victory. It didn't take long for him to take notice of the dome of darkness. Already, he knew something incredibly bad was happening. There was no need for him to see what was going on inside to have a bad feeling about it. As many should know already: Anything darkness related would not be good for your health.

He rode down towards the dome, hopping off of Sven when the reindeer stood in front of it. There was a slight pain in his calf when he landed on his feet, but he didn't let it bother him that much. The real problem was what exactly was in front of him.

"Who exactly is in there?" Kristoff asked a spectating Arendelle warrior.

"Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Captain Kai, and the archer." Answered the man who was clutching his side, doing his best to stop the bleeding inflicted upon him by applying pressure there.

"The troll, Arthar, was with them." Kristoff reminded. "He in there too?"

The man simply shook his head and pointed with his free finger. Kristoff turned his head to see what exactly he needed to see. There lay Arthar, motionless, on the ground with his front facing the sky. His staff, beside him, lay broken in two pieces about equal in length. His body had seen better days as it was all cracked.

Kristoff rushed to the troll's side, praying under his breath that he was okay. All his grief and worry disappeared when he saw Arthar's eyes weakly open when he reached him.

"You need medical attention." Kristoff warned.

"I'll... Be alright." Arthar insisted. "Although, I may not be as handsome as I used to be."

"I always figured that you'd be the last person ever to crack a joke." Kristoff revealed. "What can we do about that dome?"

"These properties of darkness surpass even I, Kristoff." Arthar sadly reminded. "If Mara put it up, she must surely be the only one who can put it back down."

"Then there's nothing we can do." Kristoff angrily and silently said, looking back at the dome. It made him ill knowing that his wife was in there fighting for her life and he couldn't do anything to help her.

"Aye." Arthar agreed. "But let's be honest. There are people in there more capable than you, and I'm sure they'll do whatever they can to take that witch down."

Kristoff didn't need to argue with Arthar's true statement.

* * *

"Kai, wake up." Elsa ordered the unconscious man. He didn't even manage to move a muscle. No matter how many times Elsa shook his shoulders on the ground, he still wouldn't open his eyes. She didn't have to worry about him being dead, though, since he was still breathing, albeit very weakly.

It didn't take her very long to remember that she wasn't alone with Kai in the dome around them. Turning her head, she saw Anna help up Rhys who had no bow and no arrows. An archer with no weapon was no archer at al. Not that it mattered at all, however. No weapon could harm her, although piercing her was undoubtedly possible. No weapon except...

How could Elsa have been so blind as to forget about the reason for their second trip to Mount Caelum? Luckily, both Anna and the handle were in a moderately close proximity to each other, so that at least made their job much easier. There was no more running around, trying to figure out where so and so was with so and so.

She turned Kai's body over so he face upward towards the ceiling of the dark dome. Looking down at his waist, she saw the bright white handle of a certain weapon for good. With quick reflexes, she moved her hand to grab the weapon. However, Mara seemed to have even quicker reflexes. The harbinger shot a blast of darkness from her staff at Elsa's hand, hitting it, hurting it, and sending her arm jerking backwards.

Elsa grunted in pain, but the sounds of pain grew stronger when Mara shot such a powerful blast at Elsa that it sent her flying back against the wall of the dome. She didn't risk leaning back against it any longer than a second since it pained her when she leant her head against it. The energy was too potent and too uninviting.

"Darkness never really hurt that bad." Elsa told Mara. "What is it?"

"The very strongest of darkness' physical form." Mara informed. "Every second your body will come into contact with it will be a second closer to death. A painful death I would not recommend. Perhaps it'll be the death I grant you!"

Mara lunged forward at Elsa who tried shooting her adversary with a blast of ice. As if it were nothing, Mara simply sidestepped it while she made her strides towards the queen. Elsa half expected Kai to jump up immediately and defend her, but the fact that he wasn't budging a few moments earlier confirmed that he expectation was a false one.

Extending her hand, Mara covered Elsa's face and pushed her head back against the dark wall with incredible force. The ice queen screamed in pain, shedding a painful tear as she did so. Anna and Rhys ran towards the two from the other side of the dome, watching in terror as Mara tortured Elsa.

From the outside, Kristoff heard Elsa's cry. With clenched teeth, he lunged and slammed the wall with his fist. He was unfortunately met with nothing but pain. His body was thrown backwards when the wall retaliated against him.

Elsa wanted so badly for the pain to end. The darkness hurt her more than it had ever hurt her before. She wanted to scream some more. She wanted to yield. She wanted to cry and beg for mercy from someone who surely wasn't going to give it to her. However, Elsa didn't want to let Mara win, despite everything else she wanted at that moment. They had all gone too far to give up then and there.

Mara felt two whips against her back which stung for a moment. It wouldn't kill her, but it did enough to bother her. Whoever dared was who Mara wanted to torture most at that moment. So, feeling kind, Mara released her hand over Elsa who slunk onto the ground, clutching the back of her head. The dark one turned to find a man she least suspected to stand up to her.

Rhys held his broken bow in his hands, one even part in his left and right hand. He had just swung both ends against Mara's back which may have been the worst mistake he had made that day. Anna stood next to him, pointing her sword at Mara as if it was going to do anything against her. The thing that made Mara slightly concerned was the fact that Anna's blade was shaking, meaning her hands weren't trembling, meaning she was not at all nervous.

It meant that Anna was determined, and that meant that she had a will. Mara didn't like facing people with a stronger will than her.

"You were there during my assault on Arendelle." Mara recalled, looking at Rhys specifically. "We never had a formal introduction. Well, hello, I'm Mara, and-"

Rhys swung one of his curved sticks at Mara's head, smacking her face and jerking the direction of her look to the side. She did not show any sign of injury nor sign of anger, strangely enough. The archer wondered whether he should still be brave or worried. Perhaps a bit of both was the most accurate thing he felt.

"You have manners just like Kai." Mara connected. Everyone in the dome knew that that was an insult. Then, it clicked in Mara's head. Relationships made more sense to her now. "Ahh, I see. Bound by blood, is it? I know you're not his father since I've seen through his memories." She then turned back to look at a hurt Elsa. "I've seen some _very_ interesting stuff between you two, by the way." She then turned her attention back at Rhys. "That must make you his brother. How ironic that he finds out he has one when he didn't need one. How do you-"

Rhys slammed her face again with his other stick, except this time, he broke the one who hit her with. Mara's head moved in the same direction. The newest addition to her face was a splinter lodged into her cheek. Her lip was wavering, showing clenched teeth.

"Fool me once, shame on you." Mara started. She then blasted Anna away, forcing her to slam against the wall behind them like Elsa did earlier. Only then did Anna feel the pain Elsa felt. Mara was far from done hurting everyone. She grabbed Rhys by the neck and raised him up, despite him being twice her size and weight. "Fool me twice, shame on... Finish the sentence."

"Me?" Rhys suggested, grunting and running out of air.

"No, it's you now." Mara affirmed. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, well... Also shame on you."

Her staff transformed into a black sword in the blink of an eye. Surrounding the sword was a purple aura of energy. Negative magic. It was about a foot away from Rhys, but he could still feel the sharpness of the darkness.

Mara then felt a stabbing sensation on her shoulder. She turned her head to find a dagger made of ice sticking out of her left shoulder. While still holding Rhys, she turned her head back to find a pink-eyed Elsa standing with a slouch.

"You're fights with me." Elsa reminded.

"As I recall, my fight's with everyone on this god-forsaken earth." Mara said. She then turned back to face a struggling Rhys who was kicking at her shins to no avail. "And that includes him. I'm done being distracted."

Elsa had honestly not expected Mara to remember to harm Rhys. She stood up so that she could act as a distraction for Rhys, yet she had evidently failed at her self appointed task. Mara stabbed Rhys through the middle of his belly, just below his belly button. Anna watched from behind Rhys in horror as she saw the blade end stick out of him, stained in red.

Rhys let out a single cry in pain, but no more. He followed that by clenching his teeth and trying his best to deal with the burning pain he felt from the inside.

Mara turned and threw Rhys onto the ground right next to the unconscious Kai, the black sword still sticking out of him. The blade was pushed upward through Rhys' gut because of the ground. Elsa, paralyzed by shock, watched in pain as Mara took the sword out from him. The motion pained Rhys even more.

He clutched his stomach, applying painful pressure to keep from bleeding out.

Elsa's rage clicked, and she then sprung into action.

Creating two ice swords, Elsa lunged at Mara, slashing down in an x-shape. The harbinger stepped backward, barely dodging the attack. However, Elsa was rather close to hitting her as her blades made a scratch on the clothes over Mara's breasts.

"No one else will die today!" Elsa defiantly said. She slashed downward at Mara who raised her own sword horizontally upward, blocking Elsa's attack. The black sword proved more powerful than it looked to be since Elsa's ice sword shattered upon contact. She used her other sword slash at Mara's ribcage, but it was blocked by a downward swipe on Mara's part. The second sword, too, shattered like vase.

Mara raised her sword to strike the virtually defenseless Elsa, but the queen had other plans. She shot two similar streams of ice at Mara, pushing the woman back with her feet placed firmly on the ground. A layer of ice was relentlessly trying to form over Mara's body, being broken when Mara struggled too much. However, it didn't stop growing until Elsa stopped shooting.

The black sword was covered in a thick layer of ice. Frosts covered parts of her body which weren't already layered in ice. As she took a breath, one could see the chill in it. Mara was not happy, and Elsa wouldn't have it any other way.

"Tell me." Mara requested. "What did you think that would accomplish? Are you that stupid to believe a little ice is going to stop me? I took you for a much wiser girl, but time and time again, you have proven me wrong."

"You insult me." Elsa said, trying to suppress a smirk on the corner of her mouth. "I didn't mean to hurt you, there. I just needed you away from me."

Mara didn't have time to ask why. Elsa quickly turned and slid towards Kai's body after she fell onto her knees. She grabbed the hilt of Ludicium and ripped it out of his belt of weapons. The eyes of the dark one widened when she saw the color of the hilt. Only once had she seen the weapon before in her life, and that was not the time in her life she was particularly fond of.

Elsa called Anna's name and threw the hilt at her. Caught off guard, Anna raised her hands to catch the small, white handle. While it was in the air, Mara smashed the icy blade against the dark wall, shattering the ice, and then sprint a few yards towards Anna with her weapon ready to shed some more blood.

Anna noticed Mara running at the corner of her eye and prayed under her breath, as did Elsa. If the sword didn't help, then all was lost. That dome would be the roof under which they died.

When Anna's palm touched the blade and her fingers wrapped around it, a white light shot out from one of the ends of the handle. It temporality blinded everyone for about a second. While stunned, Anna raised the handle horizontally above her head where she expected Mara to attack her. She had to admit, though, that it felt a great deal heavier.

When everyone's stun cleared and their vision came back, shock came to their faces. Anna had blocked Mara's attack with Ludicium in all its glory. Mara's eyes showed a good mix of anger, horror, and worry.

"Holy shit." Anna muttered. "Those sons-of-bitches were right." She didn't mean to insult, however.

Elsa swore that that was the first time she had ever heard Anna cuss. Surprisingly, the sword didn't dust-out on her, meaning her heart was still fairly pure.

Anna pushed her sword upward, pushing Mara away in the process. She then pointed the tip of the sword of light at Mara who gripped her sword much more tightly.

"How?!" Mara demanded. "That's a lost relic! How can it be used by the likes of you?"

Anna swung her sword diagonally downwards which Mara responded by blocking. When the two swords clashed, Mara sensed that the edge of her black sword where Anna struck had slightly cracked. That was not good for her.

Elsa readied herself to run in an help, but Rhys' cough made her change her attention elsewhere. Rhys, who lay on the right of Kai, coughed out blood which covered his chin.

"Just hang on." Elsa ordered. "Once Mara is taken care of, we'll get you patched up."

"I do not doubt it." Rhys smiled, grunting in pain after. "Trust me, I have had worst in the past. You do not think I know pain?"

"I'm afraid you might know it too well." Elsa said, putting her hand over the wound and covering it in a thin layer of ice. "That should numb it out: make it help with the pain."

"But that won't heal it." Rhys pointed out.

Elsa nodded. "We'll need to wait for Kai to wake in order to close the wound. I'm going to warn you and say that it's going to hurt."

"I know." Rhys nodded. "I saw what happened with Kristoff."

"Then you know exactly what to expect." Elsa smiled.

Rhys almost chuckled if it didn't hurt so much. "What are you doing idle?" Rhys asked. "Anna needs your help. I'll be fine, truly."

Elsa nodded in silence and jumped up, spinning towards Mara in the process.

Mara swung her sword down at Anna with incredible force, yet she did so with only one arm. Her mentality told her that Anna was perhaps the only individual in the entire country who could wield the sword, so if Anna was taken out of the picture, then her vision was inevitable. Anna, however, was a much more skilled swords-woman than Mara would've assumed she was.

Anna didn't fight with as much speed and control as Kai. She didn't even fight with as much grace and swiftness as Elsa. All she knew were the basics, and that was apparently still better than Mara who always preferred a backseat during battles. The staff was the only weapon Mara had any training with, so perhaps switching was not the smartest decision she had made.

So, when Mara swung down, Anna managed to parry the attack. The force of the parry was so strong, in fact, it sent Mara sliding backwards all the way to the other end of the dome. Both girls stood at opposite sides of the dome, backs a few feet away from the deadly walls.

"I don't know why even bother working my muscles." Mara muttered. She aimed her sword at Anna and a stream of purple energy engulfed the blade and shot straight towards Anna.

Elsa, who was running towards her sister, raised her arm up, creating an icy wall between Mara and Anna, exactly in the middle of them. The wall was meant to block the energy attack, but the beam was much stronger than that. The energy broke right through, destroying the wall into icy chunks before Elsa could take two ore steps.

Instinctively, the princess held Ludicium vertically in front of her. The sword acted as a defense for Anna, blocking the wide beam of energy like a shield. Strangely, Anna could feel almost no opposite force against the sword. It was as if Mara's energy meant nothing to the sword at all.

While the energy beam still pushed against her, Anna moved her sword and pointed it directly at Mara. A beam of yellow and white light and energy covered Ludicium, destroying the darkness surrounding it, and pushed Mara's own beam back.

"No!" Mara insisted, doubling her efforts to power her beam. It did, however, seem futile, as the beam of light still ripped through the dark beam, inching its way closer and closer to Mara herself.

"You can do it!" Elsa promised Anna, putting her hand over her sister's shoulder when she got next to her.

"Don't jinx me!" Anna ordered.

"I'm a goddess!" Mara roared. "You're mortal! How is this possible?!"

"You screwed with our home." Anna reminded. "Nobody screws with our home."

Anna let out a powerful battle cry while Mara let out a scream of defeat. The beam of light engulfed Mara's sword completely, and then hit her in the chest. The impact let out a quick flash around the entire dome, temporarily blinding everyone. Both Elsa and Anna prayed silently that that would mean the end of Mara's spark of life. Her body was anti-light, and that made light her bane. The bane had just hit her with so much power.

When everyone's vision cleared up, they all saw that they were still under the same dark dome. Elsa still had her hand on Anna's shoulder, Rhys was still laying in pain next to Kai, and Anna had stuck the tip of the sword onto the ground, not wanting to hold it for much longer since it was incredibly heavy.

Mara wasn't dead. Not yet, anyway. She knelt on the grass with her sword broken up in front of her, with the handle connected to the longest piece of the broken blade, serving well as a dagger. Her clothes were ruined and in tatters, and her face seemed out of energy.

"It's over, Mara." Anna said.

In response, Mara grabbed the newly made dagger with her left hand, and slowly stood up. It was obvious how dazed she was as she was wobbling when she stood and staggering when she made her slow way towards the girls. Her look at them showed nothing but murderous contempt.

"Get it in your head." Elsa ordered. "You lose. There's no point in fighting."

"You..." Mara started, weakened. "You haven't won... Not yet. My sky is still... Beautiful. As long as I stand, so will my threat."

"We'll just have to change that, then." Anna said. "Mara, you're weapon is destroyed. You can't summon anymore spawns. You can't kill everyone, anymore."

"Perhaps..." Mara said, letting out a very weak smirk which unsettled the girls. "Not everyone... But, I will take out those who... Matter..."

Mara turned to her left to face the bodies of Rhys, who was having trouble getting up, and Kai, who was just starting to open his eyes. That motion told Elsa exactly what Mara was going to do, but before she could lift a finger, the broken sword left Mara's hand and flew towards Kai. The angle at which it was thrown would make it stick in his chest. Even a man who could control fire could not survive that.

"No!" Rhys said. In his final action, he moved to the side, in front of Kai's feet, on his knees. That was where the dagger impaled Rhys through the chest, sticking out of his back by an inch and a half.

Elsa ran towards Rhys and Kai while Anna ran towards the distracted Mara. When Mara turned to face Anna, she was greeted by Ludicium impaling her through the stomach. Mara could feel the dark red color of blood coming out of the wound. She could feel the burning sensation of the light against the darkness inside her.

"You deserved that." Anna angrily told Mara, their faces close to each other. "You have no idea how many times I want to cut you for that. For Bloom. For Rhys. I hope you burn in hell. No, I _know_ you'll burn in hell."

Mara chuckled weakly. "Not so pure now, huh, Anna?"

Anna felt the sword get lighter in her hands as the blade turned into dust while it was still inside of Mara's body. The harbinger fell back, flat on the ground, with a grin on her frozen face. Not a single breath escaped her.

Mara was dead. The dome around them began to dissolve into nothingness, exposing all of them to the armies who just stood by and observed with awe. Some of them cheered when they saw that Mara was no longer standing, nor was she twitching.

The sword of light had been destroyed again. Anna's purity had been compromised. The immense hatred she expressed towards Mara in those final moments ruined her heart, seemingly. Not that it mattered, anyway. The self proclaimed goddess was defeated, and all would hopefully be well.

"Rhys." Kai called in a normal voice.

Anna turned to see Kai and Elsa, kneeling over a dying Rhys. She didn't hesitate to run towards the archer, followed by Kristoff who stood nearby. Everyone else gave the group some space, knowing that it was not their place to interfere like that. Rhys meant so much more to the ones around him than anyone else in the world.

Rhys coughed blood. "We did it." He smiled. "She's gone. But, the sky is still..."

"Don't worry about that." Kai insisted. "I can close the wound, and-"

"Kai, cauterizing it isn't going to fix the internal damage." Kristoff pointed out.

"The rider has a point..." Rhys weakly and sadly said. "I'm prepared for this... Do not worry about me. Worry about your own future."

"What if you fit in that picture?" Kai said. "I only just met you. Don't die on me now, please."

"I want this, Kai..." Rhys revealed. "I believe in a better place than this world... A place where my son and wife surely went to. I'd very much like to see them again... And mother. Perhaps father if he made it."

Rhys grabbed Kai's hand with both of his own. Kai's eyes had turned pink, and a tear ran down his cheek. This was one of those times Kai grew incredibly emotional.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way." Kai apologized.

"Don't be." Rhys said. "All is well, right? I'd like to think so, at least. Do me a favor, brother. Live life on your own terms, please. Don't have others make your choices for you."

"That's pretty much what Deren told me when he died." Kai recalled. "It's a good way to live, but-"

"Yes, it may lead to an easy way to die." Rhys finished. "But at least you will go on your own terms, like I have. Protecting my baby brother is a pretty fair trade for my life."

"We will always remember you." Elsa promised. "Your name is going to be sung around Arendelle halls forever. Hell, I'll even name a son after you."

"Hold that thought for a little while longer." Kai asked of her,

"If only those kids at that orphanage can see the what kind of hero you were today." Anna said. "They'll never forget their uncle, that much you can be sure."

"Please tell them about-" Rhys coughed violently before he finished his sentence. When the blood stopped coming from his mouth, he started to speak again. "Please tell them that I made a choice for the greater good. Please don't make them think I have abandoned them."

"They'd never think that." Kristoff assured.

"I'll make sure of it personally." Kai volunteered. "I swear to you."

"What's a promise to a dead man worth?" Rhys joked.

"More than you'll know." Kai said.

Rhys closed his eyes, and his breathing weakened and slowed much more than it had already.

"Shame that the last thing you'll see was darkness." Kai muttered.

"No..." Rhys said, hearing Kai. "I see light. A beautiful light..."

"Rhys, come on, open your eyes." Kai ordered. His brother did not respond. No more breaths were taken. No more muscles were moved. Kai's last of blood-bound kin was gone.

Kai let out a deep sigh. "Before any of you start, I don't want your apologies. Whether you meant it or not, it isn't going to bring him back." When Kai turned his head to look at his friends, he found that they all grew a little tears eyed, even Kristoff who was emotionally as touch as a rock.

"You're not the only one that's hurt." Anna assured Kai. "He's finally at rest, at least. Life had surely taken more than has given him."

"That's because he spent his life giving." Kai pointed out.

Arthar cleared his throat, wherever that was located in his body, from behind the group. Kai and Elsa stood up and turned along with Kristoff and Anna, facing Arthar who had a less than thrilled look on his face.

"We won." Elsa confirmed. "But at a cost..."

"No we didn't." Arthar denied. "Not yet."

"Mara is dead." Anna said, pointing to the corpse behind Arthar.

"Tell me, then. What's the color of the sky?" Arthar inquired. "The shadow is tied to her life force, and if it's still here-"

"Then she's still alive." Kai angrily finished. Rhys was dead, but victory was still not achieved. He did not live long enough to truly see the end of their adversary.

"She looks pretty dead to me." Kristoff said.

"Her host, aye." Arthar said. "But, the story goes so much deeper than that. I thought all was well when I saw the dead body, but when I noticed that the sky had not changed, I remembered something. The sword of light only separated Mara's spirit from its host. Under normal circumstances, without a host, the spirit could not survive. But, there is a sky of darkness up there. The dark spirit can survive on is own."

"If she didn't need Lilith's body when the sky was dark, then why didn't she leave it?" Elsa asked.

"Perhaps she couldn't leave it." Arthar said. "Perhaps she didn't know how to. It doesn't matter, they're separate now."

"Then where is the spirit?" Kai asked.

"I fear that she is close." Arthar answered. "Perhaps still temporality contained in Lilith's body."

"Maybe she's far away." Kristoff suggested.

"Maybe." Arthar agreed. "Although, I highly doubt that she'll let this go. I fear that this form is her most powerful, and you all have just pissed her off."

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a comment/review to let me know what you think!

Well, I did warn you guys that the story is getting a little Game of Thrones-ey with the characters and such. Is it the end? Perhaps, perhaps not. The next chapter for sure is going to be the last chapter in the climax and it will most likely have the highest stakes in it.

Summer has come, and I have so much free time on my hands. Also, I'm going on my vacation in a week, so after the next chapter is written, there will be a two week break. I promise you guys that that break is going to kill you with anticipation and speculation.

Also, I've been playing a lot of video games recently, particularly Witcher 3. It's been pretty much advertised everywhere. I don't know if any of you would be interested, but I'd like to make a personal review of the game.

Ciao.


	49. End Game - The Heart of Darkness

Author's Note: Hey guys, I just wanted to the the note at the beginning because I'll ruin the mood if I do it at the end. This chapter is fairly long, but it's the end of the climax. Also, this will be the last chapter I post before I go to vacation, meaning there will be a two to three week break.

The chapter will bring the "feels." Some of you may even cry. So, in honor of that, I have another QOTD.

**QOTD: What movie or book made you cry?**

For me, I'd say Transformers: Age of Extinction. Not because it was sad, but because it was so bad that it ruined the franchise for me and ruined my childhood.

Without further ado, here you go.

* * *

**End Game - The Heart of Darkness**

* * *

"I saw we destroy the host body." Kristoff suggested to Arthar, Anna, Kai, and Elsa. "If the spirit is trapped in there-"

"They're separate, remember." Kai reminded. "Destroying Lilith's body is going to do jack-shit against a spirit this powerful. Besides, the body could still have the same properties as it did when Mara inhabited it."

"What does that have to do with it?" Anna inquired.

"It means that, without Ludicium, it'll be early impossible." Arthar answered for Kai. "Anna, your heart may no longer be pure. It's not my place to question why, but we all must understand that someone else pure of heart must use the sword or else the sword is useless."

"No offense to everyone, but I'm pretty sure we all have dark things in our hearts once in a while." Kai muttered. He was not as optimistic about the human nature as many other people around him. He saw it as what it truly is, not what it should be. It was not the best way to live, but it was a great way not to die.

"Arthar, what's the plan?" Elsa asked.

"I'm not entirely sure how to take her down." Arthar replied. "Destroying evil spirits isn't my forté. But, as I said earlier, she has a life force, surely. If this "Heart of Darkness" is destroyed, then so will the spirit."

"And so will the sky." Kai finished. "Where can we find this heart?"

"Mara can't be without form for long." Arthar revealed. "Sooner or later, she will manifest. Without connection to a body, she'll most probably appear as a spawn."

"Then we just kill it like any other spawn?" Kristoff asked.

"It can't be that simple." Elsa chimed. "I'm sure it'll take much more than a simple slash of a sword to finish the job."

Kai flicked his left hand and flames engulfed it. "Darkness burns like paper." Kai recalled. "Hopefully, I can give her that same treatment."

"Queen Elsa!" Called Ander's voice from nearby. Soldiers spectating the planning made way for the King of the Southern Isles. His armor was scratched and dented, but other than those minor damages, he seemed perfectly fine and fit. At least he didn't have to share the same horrible fate as many others in the battlefield.

"The field is vacant of hostile forces." Ander confirmed. "But why is our victory delayed?"

"I'd also like to know that." Said Rapunzel, walking in from the crowds. She had Eugene leaning on her soldier and he had a nasty cut on his thigh, although it didn't seem like it was anything that major. He'd live, assuming the wound didn't get a nasty infection.

"We severed Mara's anchor," Elsa answered, "but her spirit still lingers. Without the body, she would normally be useless, but we're under the dark sky, meaning that she can survive."

"And we can't get rid of the sky without getting rid of her, first, hm?" Questioned King Lyre, limping into the open area made around the nobles, clutching his bleeding shoulder.

"Unfortunately." Elsa confirmed.

Rapunzel looked down at the body behind Elsa and the others, gasping when she finally recognized who it was. She wanted to apologize to Kai about his lost, but she had a feeling that he had already heard it a few more times than what was effective. Another sympathizer probably would've annoyed him more than helped him.

"Then where is the spirit?" Eugene asked them.

Anna started to answer. "Do you think we would still be standing here if we-"

A large, black beam of energy shot out from the ground around and under Lilith's body, pushing everyone back and making their vision flash like an on-and-off light. Everyone within a five yard radius of the continuous energy stream to the sky was knocked back violently.

"That doesn't look like a spirit!" Kai yelled. Then, he noticed something incredibly disturbing. At the foot of the beam, purple and green surges of energy danced around it. The surges grew more violent and more large every second Kai looked down at them. Not only that, but the surges seemed to outline a slowly growing dome at the bottom of the energy.

"Everybody run!" Kai ordered.

Obediently and without resistance, everyone who initially surrounded the body, including Anna, Arthar, Rapunzel, etc, turned fro the beam and ran or limped for their lives. The look of the collecting energy foreshadowed one thing: energy pulse. A blast of dark power was going to pulse out of the bottom of the beam and hurt everyone within a certain radius. Surely, it was going to hurt, if not kill.

Kai turned to begin to run himself, being a good few meters behind everyone else, but he knew something was odd. Someone had yet to run with the rest: someone very important. He turned back to find Elsa still recovering from the push. He found that she was slowly getting on her knees, shaking her head to clear her vision.

There was only one thing Kai thought about doing then. What kind of a husband would he be if he would just condemn Elsa and leave her there for harm? He ran towards Elsa, with more haste than he ever expected he would ever use. The energy at the bottom of the beam looked like it was about to release any minute. The observation that made that theory more and more possible was the fact that the energy dome was getting smaller. But, it wasn't getting smaller. It was just condensing.

Kai grabbed Elsa by the arm and helped pull her up off of the ground. Her legs felt wobbly when she stood up straight.

"We can't stay here." Kai quickly said.

"I was just going to sit here and take a nap." Elsa joked, weakly. "What about Rhys?"

"There's nothing we can do." Kai affirmed. "No point in trying to save-"

From behind, the energy released around the beam, hitting everything within a twenty foot radius. There was, at least, more good news than bad news for the energy. The good news was almost everybody escaped the pulse and that it wasn't lethal. The bad news was that Kai and Elsa were caught in the surge. Both were thrown face first onto the ground, painful energy rushing through their bodies and ruining their clothes as the materials were not strong enough to withstand the blast.

Elsa seemed to be the one who was more affected by the dark blast. Almost all of her armor was weakened by a layer, and the armor around one arm was completely destroyed, leaving her arm bare. The back of her right thigh was exposed as the armor was also damaged there. Kai, on the other hand, was missing the clothes over his left forearm, and the clothes over his right shoulder were missing. Other than a few minor rips all over, Kai was all-in-all fine.

Elsa was not as lucky as he got out to be. She still felt pain all over her. Blood was splattered on her face, thanks to her nose and mouth. Her coughs were violent and did not make her seem any healthier. Whether she was able to walk or not was yet to be seen.

The worst part of it all was not the fact that Elsa was injured. The worst part was what was standing over the host body. A feminine being with skin, or whatever was her external substance, stood there. She was incredibly tall, standing at about fifty feet. There were no visible clothes on her, yet she wasn't necessarily naked. She looked like a solid shadow with eyes that glowed green. A being that was made of pure darkness.

"I'm free!" Mara announced. She had no lips on her head, yet she spoke. "I must really thank you. You used your supposed saving miracle to just free my spirit. You've dug your own graves, now that I'm stronger than ever!"

"We'll stop you..." Elsa weakly said, turning over to face the titan. It was improbable that Mara even heard Elsa since her ears would supposedly be all the way up on the air.

"How?" The titan chuckled.

"The story said that the trolls were able to trap the spirit away, but not kill her completely." Kristoff whispered to Arthar.

"Aye." Arthar confirmed. "But I'm afraid I don't know how to do such a miracle. It's an art lost, and it's way too late for it to be revived."

Kristoff muttered a silent curse, looking back up at the behemoth. For every step she would take, she would be killing a small group of men under her feet. The deaths would not necessarily be the most honorable, and Mara would surely find them hilarious. It would be easy for her to just run around the entire field, stepping and squishing everyone like they were ants. Everyone deserves better.

"No, you cannot stop me now!" Mara proudly affirmed. She saw Kai help Elsa off of the ground, putting his arm over her shoulder and her doing the same to him. It would've been easy for her to just move her foot forward and crush them, but she had her reasons to stay her "weapon."

"I'll allow you to live." Mara told Elsa. "Not long, however. You've proved to be more trouble than you should be worth. A prick in my side such as yourself deserves to feel pain. _True_ pain, before I take your breath away from you."

Mara turned around, looking at the exposed city of Arendelle in the distance, past all of the trees in the forest. Everyone, especially the soldiers, protested and condemned Mara for the action they suspected her of taking.

"You cannot!" Arthar ordered.

"I can." Mara argued, her back to him. "And I will. Don't worry, none of you will live long after the destruction of this beloved city. When I return, I will ask how you all wish to die."

She began to walk away towards the city which was a fair distance away. Every step she took shook the ground around her. People under her did their best to jump out of the way, avoiding being crushed by the foot. However, there were those who weren't able to leave immediately, and they were reduced to a collection of blood, guts, and bones on the grass.

At the rate she was walking, she was going to make it to Arendelle in a few minutes. That time may be added to, depending on whether or not she was careful when walking on top of the forest. For some reason, she chose not to run. Was it because she physically couldn't do the action or because she just chose not to?

While they watched with anger as Mara walked away, Kristoff and Anna ran towards Kai and Elsa to help her move and to provide whatever support was necessary.

"What's the plan?" Kristoff asked Kai as he took Elsa off of his arms with Anna's help. Anna and Kristoff held Elsa in between them, facing Kai who had his back to Mara.

"Stays the same." Kai reminded. "That needs to be her primary form. I'll bet that the heart of darkness is inside of her."

"Which means we'll have to get in there." Anna grimly stated.

"No we." Kai corrected. "I'm the only one who can fly up there. No one else can do it."

"Are you-?" Anna wasn't going to finish the sentence. _Are you crazy? _The question proved to always be rhetorical. Every action Kai made seemed mad and impractical, yet they worked. She didn't want to question his plan this time.

"I know what I'm doing." Kai promised. No one, not even Kai, knew if he was telling the truth. They all surely hoped he did, including him.

"You can't, Kai." Elsa argued. "You might have to destroy her from the inside. It's suicide."

"Then I'll go out with a bang." Kai said, accepting the risks to his life. He wasn't sure how much he cared about his life anymore, seeing as how he was always throwing it away.

"I won't allow it." Elsa defiantly ordered. "As your Queen, I-"

"You're not Queen of the world, princess." Kai interrupted. "You don't get to choose the fate of it. If I don't do this, no one else will."

Elsa sighed, and it almost pained her to do so, seeing as how her condition was less than satisfactory. "If I can't stop you, then I'm going with you." She gently pushed Anna and Kristoff away from her, seeing if she could stand on her own. For a second, her legs kept her up, although it was incredibly wobbly. But, she then fell onto her knees, and Anna and Kristoff kept the rest of her body from collapsing on top of the ground.

Kai knelt in front of Elsa, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You're in no condition to do anything." He pointed out. "You need to get better."

"I won't be able to soon enough." Elsa said. "You're not leaving me behind." She looked down at the ground, almost shedding a tear.

"Elsa," Kai said, moving her chin to move her head upwards so that he could meet her eyes. "we both knew that there would be sacrifices. Walking into the field, we knew what we signed up for. I'm not going back, not when we can be close to victory. I committed, and I need you to let me go."

"There's still a good chance he'll come back to us." Anna assured Elsa. She didn't want Kai to leave anymore than Elsa did, but she knew what was important, and what was important was saving the world. At that moment, she knew that only Kai could do that.

"He better." Kristoff told Kai.

"Elsa, I need to go." Kai said as he pressed his forehead against Elsa's. "Just in case anything happens, I need you to know, that you're everything to me. You're the reason I still bother to wake up every morning."

Elsa began to cry. There was no point in hiding her sorrow. She needed Kai to know how much this impacted her, and how much he meant to her.

"I want you to know that I'm yours, Kai." Elsa revealed while crying. "Forever and always."

"Until next time, then." Kai smiled, shedding a tear of his own. "Whenever that may be."

He turned to run, but the rough voice of King Lyre calling his name encouraged him to turn back to face who it was he needed to talk to. He found that Lyre, Rapunzel, Eugene, Arthar, and Ander were standing side by side on each side of Kai's new family.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way." Apologized Arthar. "This is a path you must walk alone so that all others would not have to."

"No point in changing this road." Kai acknowledged.

"We will owe you a debt that we may never be able to pay." Announced Ander,

"Well, I may ask for a thing or two later on." Kai joked.

"Don't let any negativity get to you." Rapunzel suggested. "You're going to get out of this alive and well, and then we'll party."

"I'd like that." Kai said.

"I've known you since you were a boy." Lyre reminded. "If only I'd known the man you would become."

"I'm only doing what I have to do." Kai humbly added. "It's been an honor, truly. To know all of you here today." Kai turned to run again, except this time, he turned back without anyone requesting him to.

"It's been a damn good run, hasn't it?" Kai asked everyone.

"The best." Elsa smiled.

"Goodbye, Princess." Kai finally said, sprinting away from everyone he befriended and/or loved.

"Queen..." Whispered Elsa, watching in tears as he left.

* * *

Kai had a faint idea of what he wanted to do. It all depended on his will to do just that. If he couldn't pull it off like he did accidentally so many years ago, then things would get a hell of a lot harder than it should be.

Many years ago, during his quest to save Anna, he had done something he never wanted to become. In the ruins of his old home, looking down at his deceased mother, Kai lost it. A powerful fiery vortex surrounded him while he hovered in the air, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Never before did Kai like to intentionally think about that moment, but right then, he had no other choice. Sometimes, it would return to his mind, and he would ponder on what it truly was. Originally, he thought that the vortex was a mere burst of angry energy. But, he felt that he could harness it. His rage did not make him able to control the power unleashed when he was emotionally broken. It was completely wild and unpredictable because he was too angry and blind to try to control it.

He felt the same rage he felt when he saw his mother's corpse. Rhys' death, Mara's threat, and him leaving his family and friends made the rage even more potent. Kai knew that if he really tried, he could unleash the power. The Power of the Phoenix.

This time, however, he promised himself that he would keep a cool head. He had to do that if he were to harness and manipulate that power. If all things went well, then he had a chance of rivaling Mara.

"Come on." Kai said to himself, repeatedly.

When he felt that it was time, while running, he let the energy go. He couldn't hold the power back for any longer. And, like lighting a match, he was engulfed in flames and so was the area around him. Fiery swirls danced around him, moving where he moved. His eyes glowed a bright yellow, but Kai didn't know that, even if his entire vision turned yellower.

Yet, even with all the fire surging around him, he tried his best to keep his mind under control. All of that fire and energy needed to be controlled. It needed to be manipulated if he were to be victorious.

"Come to me." Kai thought. He tried something he never tried before in his life: he tried absorbing the energy. Everything surging around him as he ran grew smaller and smaller. When he felt that he had enough, he closed his eyes with a strong force, and clenched his fist.

When he reopened them, he found that his entire body was covered in a layer of bright fire. Every single thing that pained him earlier disappeared. He could feel the power he possessed. He could sense that his limitations were broken. All of the rage that once lingered in him transformed into energy that super-powered him.

The layer of fire seemed to work like an armor. All anyone could see of Kai was the flames and energy. Neither his clothes nor his skin was visible, including his head. He appeared as a being of pure fire, glowing with an aura of power and energy.

"Time to take to the air." Kai told himself. His voice had a flagging effect, making him sound more supernatural than he already was.

When Kai jumped, he instantly ascended quickly into the sky. The ability came as natural to him as breathing. He looked down at his feet to see if he was shooting upwards because of the pushing flames. But, what he saw was that he seemed to be flying without the influence of the fire, even though it surely had to be the reason why he was flying. The force that kept him up was invisible.

The power was even more than he could ever hope for.

He looked forward to find Mara already with the forest around her ankles. With full determination, Kai flew straight towards Mara like a bullet across the sky. To him, she had no idea that he was going after her. If he could get close enough without her noticing, he could surely rip into her body and kill her from the inside. That all depended on how long Mara had her back to Kai.

The closer he flew, the higher his hopes of victory was. Kai braced himself, knowing that it might hurt on his way in. But, it wasn't Mara's back that his body met. While he was still flying, Mara turned around and swung her arm horizontally at Kai. Her head met his flaming body, smacking him a ways to the side, and hurting him even.

"You think I didn't notice you?" Mara mocked. "I could hear the sound of the flames blowing against the air."

Kai straightened himself out in the air. He reached for the weapons at his waits only to find that they were not there. They must've fallen off when he transformed into what he was then. He couldn't battle Mara the old fashioned way anymore, assuming the old fashioned way applied to giant titans of darkness. Using fire was his only method, so at least he had something to work with.

"Let's dance." Kai announced.

He flew straight towards Mara as fast as he could, and she prepared herself to smack him. But, when Mara swung her arm, Kai flew slightly upward so that her had missed his body by a few feet. When he stopped accelerating, he found himself hovering diagonally above Mara's head by a few feet.

This was perfect for him. Kai shot a powerful blast of fire at the back of Mara's head, making her grunt in pain and push her forward.

The fire itself looked strange. It was about two-thirds of the size of Kai's body, making it huge. The color was white and yellow instead of the traditional red, yellow, and orange mix. Kai could even feel the power that came with the blast. If it were to hit anyone normal, that person wouldn't live to describe the pain.

The back of Mara's head was burnt open. He could tell because of the dying flames around the perimeter of a circle on the head. But, what he saw inside was nothing except for complete darkness. The inside didn't look any different from the outside. Was it because it was hollow? Or was it because Mara was filled with the dark substance? Kai hoped for the former since he had to get inside sometime soon.

However, he found that Mara's wound was regenerating quickly. Right after the flames died out, a green energy covered the open area from the edge of the hole. When the green energy died, it was apparent to Kai that Mara's wound had closed.

That told him one thing: he needed to get in there quick.

Mara whipped around and swung where she thought Kai was hovering, missing him yet again by a small distance too low. While her arm was in that position, Kai dropped down, landing on top of her wrist. To her, Kai was nothing but a nuisance and a distraction. He was a bug on her skin, and naturally, people tried to hit them off.

She brought her hand down over her wrist where Kai was standing, only missing him barely when he rolled off of the arm, falling through the air. As he fell, he faced upward and shot a powerful blast of fire at Mara's side, hitting the area where her rib should be. He then immediately began to fly afterword, ascending higher until he was at around the elevated level of Mara's head.

After the fire stopped burning through her side, the green flash came, and she instantly healed. He needed only one entrance, but Mara was keen on keeping him away from her heart, even if she didn't know that that was his ultimate goal. He needed to find a way to make sure his shot was clear. The best way to do that was if she was distracted... Or stunned.

Kai started flying around Mara in circles. At first, he started out slow, not wanting Mara to see what he was doing just yet. He played with her as he was constantly descending and moving upward in random patterns as she extended her arms to grab him. She didn't think that the fact that her feet were turning like crazy mattered.

Progressively, Kai grew faster, forcing Mara to turn faster to match his speed. His change in elevation stopped so his elevation stayed constant. Mara led herself to believe that Kai had grown careless as it would surely not be hard to grab him at that second. Quickly, she reached and grabbed Kai in mid-flight, stopping his flying, and stopping her spinning.

Even in that form, Mara still felt dizzy. She staggered backward a little, crushing a few trees while she did it. Her vision could not stay straight at all. Kai smiled behind his mask of fire, knowing that she was vulnerable.

Kai let out a burst aura of fire from his body, burning Mara's hand when doing so. Apparently, holding fire was fine, but when it fought back... Mara let go of his body as her hand started to burn off and then heal like it never happened.

Now free, Kai shot a blast of fire at Mara's chest, hoping to make a quick and easy door to the heart, assuming it was located where hearts should be located. Luckily for Mara, she was able to see the fire coming. By stepping to the side while her vision straightened, the fire flew right past her, making her body safe.

Kai strafed to the side, shooting volleys of fire at Mara who protected herself by blocking with her forearm. The flames did burn the dark skin on her, forcing her to heal once again.

"When are you going to give up?" Mara asked. "I will heal instantly. There's no way you can kill me like that."

"Didn't plan to." Kai muttered, shooting a blast of fire at the distracted Mara's face. Mara let out a wail of agony. Kai didn't even know she could feel that much pain in that form. He noticed how there was a delay in the heal for her head. Hopefully, she was blinded, because his fire burned right through her eyes.

It gave him the distraction he needed. It was too perfect. He shot a blast of fire at her gut, making the shot, the fire burned a hole five times larger than him, but it started to heal more quickly than Mara's head. He had to get inside there before the wound closed itself like all of the other wounds before it.

Like a speeding bullet, Kai shot forward, flying faster than he had ever flown in the past few minutes. He didn't know exactly what was going to greet him when he entered the body. He even half expected to just shoot straight through her back. But, he prepared himself for the body of darkness by gritting his teeth and flexing every muscle he could.

Miraculously, he was able to make it before the green disappeared over Mara's stomach hole. He shot right through cleanly, and fortunately, he didn't fly right through her stomach. Unfortunately, the darkness was stronger than he could have ever imagined.

The flames around his body disappeared when he entered. His clothes didn't burn off like they should've done with any other person's clothes. He found himself floating in a never-ending plane of pitch black like he was floating in space, except there were no stars. The strange part was that he could see his own body clearly when it should've been unseeable because of the dark.

The entire plane was apparently the inside of Mara's new body. From the outside, one couldn't tell that it was never ending. Obviously, it was some magic force that made it like that. A magic force Kai had no time to try and understand.

The only other visible thing in the dark plane was above Kai. Above him, there was a large ball of purple energy which let off constant zaps of what looked like purple lightning bolts. The fact that the sphere never stayed a perfect sphere and was always slightly changing like a descending giant bubble. It seemed unstable, almost.

Kai just then noticed the pain. His entire body stung like he was being electrocuted. His throat felt dry and he didn't know if he was able to form any words. Every second he was in the plane of darkness meant a second of torture and pain. The dark substance he was in seemed to be more potent than the substance that made the dome of darkness he previously occupied while unconscious.

It was strange, however. The entire plane felt like it was air. Kai could even breath. The darkness he was in was certainly a strange form of it.

Kai didn't want to move at all, though, even if moving was easy in open air. Everything hurt so much, and he could feel everything hurting. The darkness was sucking out the life he had. He looked down at his palms to find that they were getting paler and paler. The longer he was in Mara's body, the closer he was to death. He needed to finish the task before it was too late for him to be able to do so.

"Where am I?" Kai asked, no one in particular.

"You're in my truth." Answered Mara in an omniscient voice around Kai. "This is the never ending darkness I am."

Kai turned his head upward to look at the purple energy sphere which was a good seventy-five meters ahead of him. He tried his best to ignore the added pain of moving his body.

"The Heart of Darkness." Kai muttered.

"No!" Echoed the voice of Mara. "Yeager, you do not know what you do. You have no idea what the consequences of this action will be."

"I have an idea." Kai defied. He knew that Mara did not have any power over him even when he was inside of her. If she wanted to stop him inside, she would've done so already. She was a dead woman. It was only a matter of when.

He flicked fire in his hands to see if his powers were still available to him. He wasn't sure if he still had enough energy to summon fire due to the fact that it was constantly being taken away from him. But, his hand became engulfed in flames, bringing Kai hope. The fire didn't seem to bother Mara at all inside, though. It was as if the inside of her body was hollow. But, the pain disproved that theory.

Kai still had a long way to go before he reached the heart of darkness. So, he figured fire could help him close that distance quickly. He aimed both hands at his feet, aiming his body towards the sphere above, and he began his ascent with fire.

"If you don't leave now, it'll be too late for you to see anyone you love ever again!" Mara protested as he flew up.

"I've said my goodbyes." Kai pointed out, accepting his fate.

While he flew, he saw his mother appear out of nowhere ahead of him. She gave him a warm, loving smile as he flew closer to her.

"Mom?" Kai asked.

"My sweet little boy..." Alayne Date said. "You've grown so brave. My only wish was that you lived a long and happy life. How could it end like this?" He could swear that she started to cry, imagination or no. "I love you, Kai. If you join me, just know that."

He flew past her, knowing that it would be foolish to stop. He didn't know what he saw and was seeing? Was it apart of his imagination? Or were they true spirits that have come to greet him in death?

Then, ahead of him, he saw his father appear, keeping his eye on Kai as he flew closer.

"I made a mistake with what I've done with Rhys." Alden Yeager said. "I wanted nothing more than to watch you grow into a good man. Sadly, I'll see you go like this. I'm sorry, son. For everything."

Kai passed him, getting closer and closer to the heart which looked like no heart at all.

The next person he saw was someone unexpected: Deren. However, Deren did not at all seem hostile.

"No ill will, right Kai?" Deren asked. "All of these years wasted fighting. We should've worked together. I was a blind fool, Kai, I see that. I'm truly sorry. Our quarrel costed us both our lives. But, that's in the past. Be a hero, Kai. You need to do what's best for the world."

He passed Deren, knowing that Deren was right. This had to be the way. No one else could've done it. Kai was born to do this.

He was only about twenty feet away from the heart when Rhys appeared out of nowhere. Beside Rhys was a woman Kai had never met before, but Rhys had his arm slung over her shoulder. She had a baby cradled in her arms.

"Thank you, Kai." Rhys said. "I don't regret what I've done for you. I fear that my sacrifice was not enough, however. It's your sacrifice that will save everyone you love, remember that. I wished that you would've lived a longer and happier life than I. I am content now, though. Go on, brother. Be a hero."

Kai shot past Rhys, almost shedding a tear of sadness. It easily could've also been a tear of pain too. He could feel himself getting thinner and weaker. The negative energy was taking everything from Kai, and it did a good job on letting him know that.

He felt relieved when he finally floated in front of the heart. This is it, Kai thought. Originally, he believed hat the pain would intensify in front of the heart. However, it didn't feel at all different from the rest of the dark plane, which wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Kai slowly moved his left hand to feel the strength of the heart. His fingertips were able to go through the surface of the sphere, but he quickly yanked his hand back. The pain that came with touching the heart was immense. It obviously wasn't too kind on outside forces.

When he looked at his fingers, he found that the flesh of the fingertips of his middle three fingers were completely gone. He could only see the skinny bones that once was under the flesh. The darkness even destroyed the some of the leather of the glove that covered all but his palm and fingertips.

Kai cursed at the pain. Then, his vision got incredibly blurry. He did not have enough time at all before it was all over for him and the world.

Kai moved back and shot a ball of fire at the heart. However, the fire just hit it and diminished. The outside of the sphere was immune to fire, apparently. That's what Kai deduced. But, he then asked himself if the inside was just as powerful. He moved closer to the heart, knowing exactly what he had to do.

"You're useless after all!" Mara mocked in her omniscient voice. "It's too late for you to live. I will be your grave. Do you have any last words?"

"Do _you_?" Kai countered.

His left hand was engulfed in flames at that moment and jabbed it inside of the heart which engulfed his fiery hand and half of his forearm. The fire, luckily, broke through the outer defense of the sphere because of the fact that he forced it in with his fist.

"No!" Mara exclaimed.

Kai kept his hand inside the heart, even when it started glowing orange through some apparent cracks on the surface. It changed into different sizes rapidly.

The dark heart burns like paper on the inside, Kai thought. Even though he couldn't feel his hand at all anymore, he knew that Mara was done for.

He saw that the sphere soon exclusively grew in size. That was when he drifted back, away from the heart, and closed his eyes. The sphere looked like it was going to blow soon, and he would be caught in the explosion. Kai had survived many things, but there were some things that were too powerful and too overwhelming for him.

"Elsa," Kai said to himself, "Anna, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, Lena... I'm sorry I can't be with you anymore. The years I've had with you all have been the best of my life. You're the only people I can call family."

When Kai said family, the heart exploded, and so did Mara's body.

From a distance, Elsa and the others could only see a fiery light fly around Mara and then disappear completely. They couldn't see Kai enter at all because Mara was in the way.

They all were able to witness her body explode, however. When the smoke cleared up, nothing could be seen of Mara. No scraps of her skin were left drifting in the air. Nothing was left. She did leave her mark, however, as part of the forest around her was cleared with trees knocked down and scattered. The wailing sound she made when she was dying was a nice bonus for everyone.

"He did it." Kristoff smiled.

Instantly, the darkness in the sky began to disappear in a wipe that ran across the sky rather quickly. It wouldn't take long before the sky of shadows would be completely gone, and things would go back to the way they were.

The sunlight that shined upon the field made everyone cheer in joy. Most were congratulating themselves and their friends, knowing that they had done good work.

"It's done." Arthur announced, chuckling in joy right afterword.

"Is that Kai?" Anna asked everyone, pointing at a figure in the sky which was small. But, it gradually got bigger and bigger in their perspective as it got closer to the ground.

"He's not flying." Elsa pointed out. "He's going to crash."

The explosion made Kai shoot high into the air and plummet down while the sky of darkness disappeared. When he crashed, he would land on the battlefield, but every bone in his body would surely be broken.

Elsa raised her hand, and a twenty foot tall pile of snow appeared where she thought Kai was going to land. If she was off, then there would be no way for Kai's body to recover from the fall. Luckily, her guess was right as Kai landed on top of the pile and sunk down the thick snow quickly.

After a second, Elsa forced the snow to disappear completely, turning the entire pile into a few snowflakes. On the ground, they found Kai, facing the sky on his back. His eyes were closed. No one could tell if he was breathing or not.

Elsa limped over to Kai, still hurt. Kristoff and Anna rushed beside her, knowing that Kai was just as important to Elsa as he was to them. They all widened they're eyes, and Anna even gasped, when they saw that his entire left hand and half of his forearm was missing. The stump that was at the end of his left arm was bleeding.

Kai's body didn't look as damaged as it did when he was in the dark plane. He still looked palish, but he was no longer incredibly skinny. When the explosion happened, the drained energy must've came back and restored his appearance. His life, however, was another thing entirely.

"Is he...?" Elsa asked.

Kristoff put his hand over Kai's nose. "He's not breathing." Kristoff revealed. He then put his index finger and middle finger over the area where the pulse could be felt under the jaw.

Kristoff closed his eyes and cursed silently. He slowly turned back to face Elsa, opening his eyes while doing so. He then shook his head.

**To be continued in the next chapter**


	50. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Author's Note: I'm back! Stick around until the end to see my review of Inside Out and Jurassic World!

* * *

**No Good Deed Goes Unpunished**

* * *

"Mister Yeager was not the only man to give his life in the previous battle." Elsa announced, standing in front of the doors to the castle in the courtyard. Surrounding her, occupying the rest of the courtyard, were the good people of Arendelle, all wearing black for mourning.

Besides Elsa, who was in a black dress as well, was Anna and Kristoff, with the colors on their clothes matching everyone around them. Under the sleeves of Elsa's dress were bandages that wrapped around most of her arms, meant to help with the injuries that came with the broken armor she wore. In Anna's arms was Lena who was way too young to understand the eulogy Elsa was giving. Even Olaf arrived, actually being respectful for once. He did not look happy at all, which was a contradiction for everything he was.

"We are forever grateful for the help of the kingdoms of Teranhall, The Southern Isles, and Corona. Never can this debt be repaid. But if it wasn't for them and for the sacrifices of our beloved, the sky would not be as it is today and hopefully forever." Elsa continued. "We cannot dwell on these events for too long, but we must never forget. The names of those who lost their lives will go down in history, I promise you. But today, we will mourn. But, widows, orphans, son-less fathers, and all those who have lost someone close will rest easy knowing that your beloved fought and died with honor."

"Even as a queen, I still mourn for the ones who I have lost. I will take the memories I have with them with me forever. Without them, I would not be breathing now. Without them, Mara would never have been defeated. The threat is gone, I assure you. In our lifetimes, never will we need to face such a predicament. But, when someone brings it up, they will know that it was the people of Arendelle and their allies who defeated the darkness. Peace will come to us. No one can dare oppose our powerful kingdom."

"We will never yield under evil. We shall forever be unbroken, even if we're hurt like we have been hurt. Be proud to call yourselves from Arendelle. A kingdom which has gone through so much peril, but has always ended up with our feet firm on the ground. Take Kai Yeager for example. He was not born under the greatest of conditions, yet he found enjoyment in his childhood years. A man who was driven out of his home, but he persevered and found others to find comfort in. He has went to hell and back countless times. A man who lost more than half an arm when saving the world. If he could be here with us now, he would be the one to speak of perseverance. But alas, he is not here, but I am able to tell you his story."

"As your Queen, I urge you to never give up faith on anything when in Arendelle. We are eternally strong. Hardships are nothing more than complications to our strive. No matter what obstacle is thrown in front of us, we will prevail. My name is Queen Elsa, of the kingdom of Arendelle, ruler of this land, and I promise that we will achieve a time of peace and prosperity because all who mean to hurt us know that they're foolish. Thank you for your time, and go home knowing that we will never fall."

Elsa turned around to face the large double doors that led into the interior of the castle. The sound of her clapping subjects almost deafened her. She couldn't help but put a slight smirk on her face, knowing that their faith was with her, and she wasn't one to disappoint those with faith. She was actually glad that she was able to turn the speech from mourning to a victory speech. It was quite impressive coming from a woman who wasn't used to these types of speeches or speeches in general.

Anna followed Elsa in while Kristoff stayed behind to look. Kristoff had his entire calf in bandages, covering his wound which was still recovering. Until he was fully recovered, he walked around with a cane in his left hand.

"Lovely speech." Anna complimented.

"I meant it." Elsa affirmed. "As long as Arendelle stands, we cannot forget the ones who sacrificed themselves for it."

"Awful lot of names to remember..."

* * *

Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven had arrived just in time to see the last grave being filled in the dirt. The entire Field of Flight had mounds of dirt scattered all over, one for each victim who lost their life during the battle. Most graves had one or two people standing over them, weeping. Many had flowers over them while others had wooden crosses. The ones without loved ones over most likely belonged to those who came from different lands.

In the very center of the field was a stone-mason with a full grown, brown beard who had a very large rectangular block of stone in front of him. It was about ten feet high and double the distance in width. It was rather skinny, making it look more like a rectangular gravestone. The stone-mason stood at the foot of the block, etching names into it. There was a line of names above the new one he was chiseling in, and it was all on a small section of the left side of the stone.

Next to him was a line of people who were to tell him a name of a man or woman who died for the freedom of the world. The line was rather extensive as well, and more people were entering it every second.

Elsa approached the carver, careful not to step over any graves and disrespect the deceased. The walk was rather long; longer than she would've thought. In the distance, she could spot King Ander with a paper and quill in his hand, talking to two of his men. She decided she had to talk to him, but not yet.

Anna and Kristoff weren't following Elsa as they broke away and were comforting those who were mourning. When Elsa turned to look back at her family, she found Anna kneeling on the ground with her arm around a weeping woman's shoulders, and Kristoff standing with his head facing down.

The stone-mason didn't notice Elsa approach him from behind as he was too focused on chiseling in the latest name given to him. The woman who provided the name walked away gloomily after nodding at the queen half-heartedly.

"Hello." Elsa greeted.

"Your majesty." The mason acknowledged, not looking at her. Under other circumstances, Elsa would've thought him rude and be incredibly angered. But, she knew the importance he put in his job.

"How long have you been here?" Elsa asked.

"All day, ever since I was ordered to do this in the morning." He answered. "Mourners were already here by the time I arrived. Lot of the bodies still weren't buried. Can't say I liked that scene better than my current one."

"How many names did you put down?" Elsa asked, looking up at the lines of names written down on the stone.

"Too many." The mason sadly said. "My estimate is at least a hundred of our own. At least. Three hundred at the most."

"That's a big fraction of who we brought." Elsa sadly revealed.

"Add that to the number of people the other kingdoms lost." The mason continued. "The green of the grass will forever be stained red, even if you can't see it."

"You're allowed a break, you know that?" Elsa reminded.

"Aye." The man confirmed. "But I'd rather not take one. The sooner I'm done, the better. I don't want the ghosts of hundreds of souls to state me down any longer than they must."

"Then I best not distract you." Elsa said. The mason let out a grunt in response, signaling Elsa to take her presence elsewhere. As it so happens, she wouldn't have it any other way. Ander was who best required her attention at that moment.

When he saw her approach him, he dismissed the two men talking to him. The two stood back when Elsa reached Ander, spectating the conversation since they truly had nothing better to do.

"I'd expected you to be back in Arendelle." Elsa said. "With Rapunzel and Eugene. Yet, here you are."

"Here I am." Ander confirmed. "I was just doing a check on my kingdom's casualties. I lost thirty good men. I was here before the burying started, counting who wore my colors." Ander looked up at Elsa, and his strictly business demeanor softened when he realized who the majority of the graves contained. "My apologies, Queen Elsa. I've been rather selfish. Too many of your men and women have fallen. If there's anything the Southern Isles can do to help, consider it done."

"No need." Elsa proudly denied. "We will mourn, but we're still strong."

"I have no doubt." Ander said. "Is your friend, Rhys, buried with the dead here?"

"He's in a coffin." Elsa answered. "But not buried. We don't know where we should put him."

"And what of Kai?" Ander asked, knowing how touchy the subject would be. The silence was the closest thing he got as a sure answer from Elsa. "Forgive me for bringing it up." Ander put his hands on his hips and turned away, scanning the area around him. "This can never happen again."

"It won't." Elsa promised. "Mara's dead. The sky is back to normal, and soon will be all of our lives."

"I'm not talking about the damn sky, Elsa." Ander said, looking back at her with serious eyes. "Too many have been lost because me, Lyre, and Corona weren't there in the first place."

"We had no idea how sudden this would be." Elsa reminded.

"Well, we're sure to be prepared next time." He pledged. "Elsa, the next time something global, or even just international happens, we need to be prepared as quickly as possible and to come to the aid of others before they lose too many."

"Then what do you propose?" Elsa asked.

"We create an alliance." Ander answered. "Not the type of alliance where we just not kill each other when struggling with a third party. I'm requesting a permanent alliance in which we all have an involuntary obligation to aid another kingdom or country. If someone messes with one of us, they mess with all of us. They will not be happy when things turn against them."

"I thought we already had that sort of thing." Elsa admitted. "With Arendelle, the Southern Isles, Teranhall, and Corona."

"I wasn't saying this alliance was only made up of us." Ander added. "We need as many countries and kingdoms we can get. France, Sherahome, England, Spain, Delan, Curafell, Weselton, and more."

"You sure these people will get along and not have any problems against each other?" Elsa asked. "These kingdoms might not want to play nice."

"When they learn what was up with the dark sky, they will." Ander said. He realized that she still seemed unsure since she was hopping in enthusiasm. That made Ander rather surprised, seeing as how he expected Elsa to be the one who had the most faith in an alliance. "Be honest with me. What's your problem with it?"

"Mara was right about one thing." Elsa admitted. "It's that humanity will never play nice with each other. You can try to make an alliance, but I swear to you, most will forget it when they're angered."

"Then you're refusing to join me?"

"I didn't say that." Elsa asserted. She then sighed while rubbing her forehead with her fingers. Her next words would be important, so she decided to choose wisely. There was only one option with benefits, however. "I accept. I want to see how things work out."

"Hopefully, we won't ever have to." Ander said. "That would mean there's a great danger to us."

"Obviously." Elsa said. "I imagine you'll be the one to provide the courier."

"I was planning on it." Ander confirmed. "Although, one to a few men from one country isn't very welcoming. They might believe that I'm the only one interested in such an alliance."

"And they'll think that you want to be the leader." Elsa said. "That will raise some eyebrows. So, I'm assuming you're going to ask for more couriers from different kingdoms, is that it?"

"You're very clever." Ander complimented.

Elsa was then unhappy with the proposal. She had to sacrifice some men for a cause she had little faith in. It may all go to waste if nothing was to be gained from it. Unless the results were surely positive, then she would consent. But, Ander was giving her too many assumptions. She wasn't ready to do such a thing based on assumptions.

"Ander, I believe we're turning too many heads." Elsa revealed. "Even with my help to spread the word, people will not just enter the alliance in the blink of an eye. Alliances happened before, and they eventually broke. If people think that we're up to no good-"

"I get it." Ander interrupted. He was getting a little annoyed with Elsa's rejections, but there wasn't much he could do about it. "I'll hold off on it until I get your full consent."

"You're not still going to proceed with your plan without my help?" Elsa inquired.

"I can foresee the results." Ander answered. "These other countries hold a strong respect for Arendelle. If you're not doing it, then they won't have any motivation to do so as well." He then nodded at her, signaling that he was about to leave being almost frustrated.

But, Elsa put her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from going anywhere. "The door is not closed forever." She said. "If I ever find the use in it, then I'll call upon you. But, until then, I don't think it necessary. Ander, the biggest threat the world has ever known is over. We can finally rest."

The king smiled. "I hope you're right, Elsa. I really must go after I get some business with the deceased done with."

"Then I shouldn't delay you." Elsa said, standing back.

"Until next time." Ander said, bowing, and looking back at the paper in his hand.

She bowed back before walking away, even though she wasn't sure if he even saw it. Ander had not been a king for too long, and he probably didn't know the formalities that came with it. Elsa had been a monarch for a few years longer, and she was used to the greetings and goodbyes. Ander still had much to learn, but that was okay. It was peace time, and that meant time for him to master the art of kingship.

"Elsa, come look at this." Called Anna from behind. Elsa turned her head back to see Anna kneeling on the ground about twenty five meters away from her, with her back faced to Elsa. The elder sibling approached Anna, rather interested in what Anna had to say or show.

When Anna heard Elsa's footsteps get louder, that was when she stood up and turned around, with eyes on the thing that was flat in her hands. Elsa saw that Anna was holding the remaining, intact piece of Mara's sword which used to be her staff. It was the blade that killed Rhys.

"What would you have us do with it?" Anna asked.

"I'd have us destroy it." Elsa answered, without hesitation. That was what she thought in her mind when she saw Anna hold it up, and the suggestion was most likely the best way to deal with it. But, Elsa was wiser than that. She knew that they couldn't just throw it in a fire. "But, I don't think we know best about it. We should give it to the trolls for them to do whatever they would with it."

"And what about this?" Anna asked, pulling out the handle of Ludicium from her satchel. Elsa was caught off guard, not knowing Anna was still in possession of it. She had just assumed Anna had dropped it after it was of no use to them.

"This isn't Arendelle's property." Elsa reminded. "The trolls should also know what to do with it, or at least Arthar and Rollo."

"Looks like we have another trip to make." Anna summarized.

* * *

When Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven walked into the Valley of the Living Rock, they found that the trolls were in the middle of celebrating their victory.

The celebration wasn't the grand type of celebration everyone knew the trolls could throw. It definitely hit Kristoff off guard since he knew them the best for obvious reasons. He had expected them to be rolling all over, singing, and dancing, however, there was almost none of that. Sure, some trolls were rolling around to join other groups, but besides that, everything was rather toned down. The trolls were just in small groups, talking to each other with smiles on their faces.

They were able to eavesdrop on a few conversations for a few seconds. Most of them were congratulations on how one fought bravely and how things could not look better. Others were talking about how sad it was that there were a lot of human casualties during the battle.

Rollo was able to spot them before they spotted him, making him be the one to exit the group he was in and start the conversation.

"I expected Arthar to come with you." Rollo revealed, standing still and looking up at the group when the two parties eventually met.

"He's still in Arendelle." Anna explained. "Apparently, the job isn't done."

"Well, then, I hope he finishes soon." Rollo said. "So, is there anything I can help you with?"

"We'll get to that." Elsa assured. "First off, I just want to know how you guys fared after the battle."

"Believe it or not, the trolls had zero casualties." Rollo happily announced. "Although, you have my deepest condolences for those you unfortunately lost."

"I just hope their sacrifice was worth it." Kristoff muttered.

"With the sky back to the way it was, I'd say that's a win." Rollo confessed.

"Is there any chance of this ever happening again?" Anna asked.

"I'm afraid that's a question you must ask Arthar later." Rollo said. "It's a question for people wiser than I, that's for sure. I was just as unprepared for this as you all were."

"With all the books Arthar had in his library," Kristoff started, "I'm sure he would've read something about the darkness coming back."

"Apparently, Kai, Deren, and I are reincarnations of the elementals three thousand years ago." Elsa reminded. "If we can be reincarnated, I'm sure so can Mara. I doubt that'll be anytime soon, however."

"The trolls will personally make sure that we will be prepared to face another darkness if the time were to ever come." Rollo promised.

"As will Arendelle." Elsa added. "It won't be in our lifetime, but we'll make sure no one will ever forget. That means we'll need to preserve the one weapon who can defeat the darkness."

Anna took that as her cue. She took out the handle of Ludicium from her satchel and presented it to Rollo as if it were some holy object sent down from the heavens. Rollo, reluctantly, reached for the handle with his small arm and gently took it away from Anna's hand.

"Something this powerful is better off in the hands of the trolls." Anna said. "Your magic is the best way to keep it safe."

"I suppose creating a temple for this is a little too unnecessary." Rollo joked.

"I'm sure you can decide what's best for it." Elsa complimented.

"Unfortunately, your majesty, I may not be after all." Rollo corrected. "See, I'm a rather young troll. And that means I'm also quite inexperienced in knowing wha there is to know. I was, however, best fit to be our leader. It seems, though, that there is one more capable than I."

"Arthar?" Elsa assumed. "Are you sure he's willing to take up the responsibilities? It has been about thirty years or so since he lived with you."

"Trust me, Elsa, if I didn't think he wasn't capable for the job, then I wouldn't have had to passed down the torch." Rollo asserted. "He may have been lost for a while, but I will make sure he is well welcomed." Rollo then pulled out a small rock from a pocket he apparently had behind him. Except, it wasn't a rock. It was a small, white stone tat shined brightly. "He did return us the Gift of the Moon, after all." He continued.

"And he has us to thank for that." Anna added. "There's one more thing." Anna then pulled out a second object from her satchel, and Rollo's happy demeanor faded when he saw the blade handle and blade.

"You didn't attempt to destroy it?" Rollo asked for confirmation.

"We're not that foolish." Elsa smiled.

"Good thing, too. Who knows what horrors you would've unleashed if you tried and failed." Rollo complimented. "Not that you would intentionally do it."

"I'm guessing you're going to pass all of this onto Arthar." Kristoff assumed.

"Correct you are." Rollo confirmed. "How long do you think he'll be in Arendelle?"

"As long as it takes." Elsa answered yet telling Rollo nothing at the same time. "He said that he was best fit for the job and that we couldn't just let some random person help with our problem."

"You best pray Arthar goes above and beyond with it, then." Rollo joked. He knew, however, that Arthar was most definitely the most qualified person to also do the job in Arendelle.

When Elsa and the others returned to the castle, Elsa broke off from the group, wanting to know Arthar's progress in his task. She raced past servants, ignoring their greetings, and let Anna continue calling out her name from behind.

When she got to the second floor, she saw Arthar standing in front of a door, smile at Elsa when he saw her.

"Your majesty." Arthar acknowledged.

"Is it done?" Elsa questioned.

"What? No hello?" Ander asked, looking offended. She knew that it was just a joke, however. But she didn't find it to be very funny at all.

"Hello, Arthar." Elsa started, annoyed. "Now, is it done."

"See for yourself." Arthar said, presenting the door to Elsa.

Hastily, she grabbed the knob and turned it open. Without hesitating, she swung the door open and looked inside.

A smile grew on her face.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a comment/review to let me know what you think.

I'm back! Finally! It's been about three weeks or so since the last chapter. Definitely been a long time. There will be at least two more chapters in this story before the epilogue, and two more chapters is what I think the ending will be in. I know that this chapter didn't answer all of your questions, but that's how I wanted it to be.

Also, during my break, I saw a couple of new movies, so I decided I'll share my review on two of the most popular movies out right now. Jurassic World and Inside Out!

* * *

Unofficial Review of Inside Out

First off, I'd like to point out that I didn't walk into this movie with that high of expectations. The premise seemed strange and clever, but I wasn't as hyped as so many other people were in this movie. But, when I started seeing the reviews, I was on board. When I actually saw the movie, my expectations were blown out of the water.

Inside Out is a great movie, and one of the greatest Pixar movies of all time. Well, all of Pixar's movies were good (except for Cars 2), but that's not the point. Inside Out is one of my favorite animated movies to date. If you haven't done so already, I implore that you go out and watch this film. It's damn close to a masterpiece.

The question the premise of the movie answers is what truly goes on in your head. Everyone has five emotions (Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness) which control your everyday actions and memories and pretty much anything that you can expect your brain to do. The story follows Riley, an eleven year old girl from Minnesota who just recently moved to San Francisco, and we see her internal and external problems. I'll try not to spoil anymore than what was already given in the premise since it's an experience you must see for yourself.

The thing that was most well done in the story was the writing. The script is so clever and never does anyone go out of character. The dialogue for each character made sense, and a lot of the time it was funny. I appreciated so much of the writing in this movie and was upset when it was over. The entire film is littered with funny scenes which made me laugh so hard. Never before have I laughed so much at a Pixar movie.

However, the entire movie cannot be all fun and laughs. It's a Pixar movie after all. It certainly does hit some emotional spots. These emotional spots were different from other Pixar movies where the "pulling of the heart strings" is caused by a sad scene. The emotional parts in Inside Out were not just emotional because they were sad, but because they were relatable.

The climax of the movie completely relies on the emotional jabs and the learning of a lesson. The revelation at the end was one of the smartest things I have ever scene in a movie, and when I thought about it in my seat in the theater, I realized that it was completely true. The climax certainly had a different tone, however. It was not the usual "defeat the villain" or "survive" Pixar climax we've seen before. There is no physical villain in the movie at all which I thought was great. But, there was still a problem which needed solving, and that problem could be considered the villain.

The animation for the film was great and unique. I didn't want to take my eyes off for a minute. The voice acting was excellent as always with animated films.

But, I didn't hear children laughing as much as adults when I saw it in the theater. Then, I realized that most kids wouldn't get many of the jokes, even though they were all appropriate. That's what made this movie smart. It has a target audience, but it makes sure that everyone can enjoy it.

Did I have problems with the movie? Barely. Although I liked the presentation of the climax, the challenges and struggles in it weren't very present. Besides that, that's pretty much the only problem.

The Verdict

Pros:

\- The story, premise, writing, and execution were all genius and excellent. This was a very smart movie and one of the best ideas Pixar has ever had.

\- The animation was inviting, fun, and amazing

\- The voice acting makes you believe the characters

\- The emotions (ha-ha) this movie toys with are all very relatable and makes you look back on yourself

\- The entire movie was hilarious throughout

\- The climax was unique and made the stakes feel high even when they might not really have been

\- Fun for the whole family, and I'm certain teens and adults would enjoy this film more than kids

Cons:

\- Uh... I guess the lack of struggle in the climax?

Score: 9.5/10

I wanted to give it a flawless 10/10, but to me, no movie is perfect and this is not an exception. However, it's still an amazing movie which I guarantee you'll love.

* * *

Unofficial Review of Jurassic World

Jurassic Park is one of the greatest movies of all time without a doubt, and one my favorite movies of all time as well. But, after two really bad sequels, I lost hope for the franchise. When Jurassic World was announced quite a while ago, I crossed my fingers and prayed that this would be the sequel to the masterpiece we all deserved. Is it what I hoped it would be? Eh...

The basic premise of the movie takes place 22 years after Jurassic Park and that Jurassic World is a theme park that has been operational for about 10 years. People are getting bored of dinosaurs (for some reason), so corporate decides to genetically modify a dinosaur, creating a hybrid named the Indominus Rex, to be the newest attraction. As we all expected, shit hits the fan.

I might accidentally spoil some things in my review, and although I usually try not to, I won't think twice. This is not a movie you should go out of your way to see unless the craving is strong. Is this a bad movie? No. But is it a great movie? No. That's just my personal opinion, and you don't have to agree with it. But, I'll point out the positives and negatives.

The story for the film is incredibly predictable, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Most movies these days have a predictable story. The story wasn't bad at all since it never strayed far from the path the movie wanted to take. It's about a dinosaur breaking out and there weren't that many twists to the plot which changed that fact.

But the pacing for the movie was so... I didn't realize how boring a movie about dinosaurs can be. Sure, there's action, but each action scene is separated by long parts of story and exposition. It's not really a bad thing, but please, just show more dinosaur chases.

The characters for the movie disappointed me. Not that I didn't like them, but that they were all incredibly one-dimensional and seldom develop. They never change their archetype. Chris Pratt plays the guy who respects and knows about how to raise dinosaurs. Doesn't change much. Bryce Dallas Howard plays the "perfect" girl who must always be organized and in control. She is, I think, the only character who develops a bit. Vincent D' Onofrio plays the military guy who is obsessed with the militarization of the raptors. Doesn't change. Etc, etc. At least the acting was good.

There is a lot of comedic relief in this movie. I didn't really expect that from Jurassic World since the trailers showed otherwise. The trailers sort of made it look like a horror movie, and it definitely is more of a monster movie than an action/adventure movie. The comic relief is sometimes welcoming and at other times annoying and out of place.

There's a character, Lowery, who is entirely comic relief. He ruins every serious scene he's in because he needs to just crack a joke. Nearly every scene that tries to be serious has comic relief in it, and I just hate that. The part where all the tourists are running around because Pterodactyls are flying crazy overhead should've been an incredibly intense and serious scene, but nope! There's a joke here and there.

The CGI in the movie is good, and I have no complaints there. The action was great, especially at the climax. The climax was one of the craziest things I've seen in a movie, even though it was incredibly ridiculous. The action is what saved this movie for me. It was definitely dumb, but in a good way. By dumb, I don't mean it's bad. Its the dumb as in Fast and Furious and Pacific Rim dumb where it definitely could never happen and was executed ridiculously and awesomely. It's not the dumb like Transformers dumb where everything is just explosions and scrap thrown in front of the screen.

The theme song is also in there, but criminally underused.

The Verdict

Pros:

\- Dinosaurs look fantastic

\- The Indominus Rex is a complete badass, even though he only shows up when the plot demands it

\- The acting is good and never seemed cheesy

\- The humor was funny most of the time

\- The action was crazy and fun

\- Relationship between Pratt and the raptors is as realistic as a relationship between a human and a dinosaur can be

Cons:

\- The characters are all one dimensional and unfortunately don't really change much at the end

\- Everything could be seen coming from a mile away

\- A lot of the humor is out of place

\- The pacing is a bit wonky

\- There's a romance which literally had no scenes for the two protagonists to show any signs of falling in love

\- A bit boring at times

\- A few story inconsistencies and holes

\- Does not recapture the magic of the original film

Score: 6.5/10

I know that I'm going to get a lot of hate, but this is my honest opinion. Is it a fun movie? Absolutely. But being fun doesn't make a movie great. Great movies have deep characters and interesting stories, and that's where Jurassic World failed for me. It's a monster breakout movie which we all have seen before, except it has Jurassic in the title. Notice how I try to avoid using the word "good" to describe the movie.

Did I enjoy the movie? Yes, I did. Please don't think I'm hating on it, but I'm just giving my honest opinion for it as a movie. It's a fun movie, without a doubt. If you walk into the movie just looking for some fun and eye-candy, you'll leave satisfied. But, if you're walking into it with so much more expectations, you'll be sorely disappointed. Jurassic World is everything it was advertised to be, but it does not become anything more.

It's definitely better than the other 2 sequels at least.

**Ciao**


	51. The Living Legend

**The Living Legend**

* * *

The last thing he remembered was the blast. That was when he blacked out completely. He couldn't feel landing on the snow. He couldn't hear his friends weeping over his body. He couldn't smell the blood in the air due to the battle. Everyone was so sure Kai was dead, and so was he. Everything between destroying the heart of darkness and the re-awakening of his eyes seemed like a long, dreamless sleep which he feared he may never recover from.

He couldn't even realize that he was still breathing. Never was Kai aware of the fact that his body miraculously survived the attack. His mind might've shut down, temporarily, making him seem like he was in a dead state, but his body still performed it's normal functions.

After Kristoff announced to everyone that he wasn't breathing and shook his head to show doubt in Kai's survival, Kai's chest rose and his nose inhaled. It was rather weak, but it was still there. Tears of sadness quickly transitioned into tears of joy. Kai officially became the toughest man in the world. He officially cheated death. He had "died" so many times, and he returned once again.

Anyone else would've died in the negative energy space of Mara's body. They probably would've fallen quicker than Kai did. But, he proved time and time again that he was not just anybody. He was a force not to be trifled with. Fools would eventually call Kai immortal, but that was yet to be confirmed.

When he finally came to, he was incredible confused. Not by the location of the room he woke up in, but because he didn't understand what exactly happened to him. He could feel all of the life suck away from him for a second, and after that, there was no consciousness. It felt like a blink. When he closed his eyes, he was in Mara, but when he opened them, he was somewhere else.

At least the room was rather familiar. If was his own room in the castle. As far as he was concerned, there were no major changes or any alterations to it. It was just as he had remembered except for the addition of a cart of bottles of strange liquids and a few small plants and roots. Right next to the cart was a stool which Kai assumed someone was supposed to sit on.

"What's going on here..." Kai weakly said. It took a second for him to get his voice back to the way it was. It felt like he hadn't used it in centuries.

Just then Kai realized he was under a blanket with all but his neck and head covered. He clenched his fists to exercise the joints and regain the feel of his hands. Strangely enough, he knew he was moving his left hand, yet he couldn't feel anything from it. It was as if the entire hand went numb. A numbness which lasted longer than it should've lasted.

Using his right hand, Kai pulled and threw the blanket over and away from himself, wanting to see if his body was still the way he liked it: in one piece. He was more or less satisfied with the condition he found himself in. Since he wasn't wearing a shirt, any recent changes to his bare skin would be obvious. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary in his chest apart from the few scars he had.

The only strange thing was his left arm. About halfway down his left forearm and his entire left hand was wrapped in bandages.

"Why..." He couldn't finish his thought before he shot his hand further away from his face. He didn't remember much about the explosion, but he was sure that his hand and forearm disintegrated when he used them to destroy the Heart of Darkness. He knew that there was no getting them back, and yet, there he lay, looking at what he thought was lost.

Is this a dream, he thought. That was the only logical explanation of the return of his hand. Perhaps he didn't survive the blast. Perhaps he was living in an alternate plane of the world or some crazy supernatural explanation like that.

Kai pinched the end of the bandages around his arm, preparing himself for what he was going to see. Slowly and cautiously, he began to unwrap the bandages, expecting to see some hideous replacement. However, it wasn't hideous at all. The more and more he unwrapped, the more apparent it was on what exactly was the substitute of his old hand.

Starting from half of the forearm to his entire left hand, metal replaced what used to be flesh. A shiny, silver metal that was shaped into a hand was connected at the edge of the stump of his left arm. The area where the metal and flesh met in the middle of his forearm made a straight line wrapping around his arm. Kai could see the outline of fingernails, yet he doubted they served much purpose. He turned his hand back and forth in front of his face, inspecting it closely. There were no fingerprints for him to see, neither were there any creases in the skin.

The new hand wasn't any heavier, even if it seemed to be nothing but thick metal. It seemed just as light as his previous hand did. It seemed to be able to do all the same functions as well. All except one.

Kai flicked his hand to see if he could summon any fire from it. However, nothing happened. He could not feel the energy that went through his body whenever he wanted to use fire in his hand. He tried it with his right hand, and that hand passed the test with flying colors. But, with his left, it was as if he never knew how to do it. He reckoned he needed to learn how to use a sword with his left hand, assuming the skill ever became necessary, which knowing him, was a probability.

Toying with his new hand, Kai tried to snap his fingers, but the only sound that came out were metallic clinks whenever the metal touched another piece of metal.

The sound of the door opening made Kai forget about his hand and look forward at the door. It took him a few seconds to understand and see who exactly was walking through, since Kai couldn't see anyone of normal height. But, he heard footsteps, and that confirmed that someone was actually there. Walking beside his bed was none other than Arthar.

The troll took note of Kai being awake and greeted him with a forced smile. Arthar was still not entirely fond of greeting customs, but he knew that it was the polite thing to do.

"Arthar." Kai acknowledged. "What happened?"

"You flew through the sky," Arthar started, "landed on a big pile of snow, and was inspected. Kristoff said you weren't breathing, but right after, you started to. We tried to wake you, but you wouldn't wake. Not until now, at least."

"And how long was I out?" Kai asked.

"Little bit over twenty-four hours." Arthar answered.

"And I'm assuming during that time you did this." Kai said, holding out his left hand.

"Your welcome." The troll confirmed. "A missing hand was nothing a little bit of magic couldn't fix. Except, I don't think you should go around preaching about the miracle of regaining a limb from trolls. I don't want any more attention than I already am getting."

"How'd you do it?" Kai inquired, but then, he realized he didn't want to know the answer. "Actually, forget it." He insisted. "I'm sure I wouldn't understand."

"Nor would anyone else." Arthar joked. "Not even my fellow trolls understand the skills of old. How is the hand, by the way?"

"More or less the same." Kai answered. "I can't feel anything, though. But, I have my ring finger back so it's an improvement. I don't get anymore special abilities with this do I?"

"You can crush a brick with on squeeze." Arthar said.

"Really?"

"No." Arthar shot down. "The hand should be no more better than the one you lost, except for maybe the fact that you will not feel any pain on it. Er... I don't think you should test that just yet."

Kai noticed that his gear was set on the night-table beside his bed. That alongside his now ruined set of clothes which was folded nicely into a square.

"Uh... Who stripped me down?" Kai joked.

"Hm?" Arthar asked, not sure if he heard Kai clearly.

"The pants I'm wearing don't match the one in the set, meaning I'm wearing a different pair. More comfortable too, if I might add." Kai revealed. "So, I just want to know who-"

"Who do you think is the only one in the castle comfortable with taking your pants off?" Arthar joked. "Didn't think it was a matter of consequence."

"It's not." Kai agreed. "Let's just forget it. How is she, by the way?"

"She is strong." Arthar stated. "She didn't take it all too well at the beginning, but she eventually became the one who didn't worry much. Of course, that was because she had me."

"And where is she?" Kai asked.

"Elsa is currently preoccupied." Arthar sadly informed. "I believe she said that there were some loose ends she wanted to clear. Recently, she gave a lovely speech, adding your brother Rhys into it. After that, I really can't say. All I know is that she'll be back soon to check up on you."

"I'm that irresistible, huh?" Kai jested. "I imagine that things can never really be the same anymore."

"Of course not." Arthar agreed. "You're a married man to top that all off."

Kai's breath almost stopped. He completely forgot about the wedding since he was too preoccupied with, eh, dying. The main reason he rushed the marriage was because that he was certain that they wouldn't get another chance, and that certainty would've went through if he had actually died inside Mara. However, he didn't die, and now, he had lots of strings on him.

"What's wrong?" Arthar asked, seeing the drain in Kai's face.

"I did what I did back there out of love." Kai revealed. "And fear. During the fight, I didn't really see myself have a longer future with Elsa. I was prepared to die in that field. Now that my commitments have caught up to me..."

Arthar began to laugh. "Oh, this is a story I've read of so many times. A man who weds but doesn't accept the responsibilities! Hahaha-"

"I can take the responsibilities and I won't complain." Kai argued. "But... Blurt out random words in your mind that you think describe me."

"I haven't known you all that long, Kai." Arthar said. "But, from your actions, I can say that you're insubordinate, cocky, sassy, and fierce."

Kai clapped his hands which felt weird with metal. He then pinned both hands at Arthar. "Thank you." He said.

"You're welcome?" Arthar asked, not sure if Kai took that as a compliment.

"I look at Kristoff and Anna, and I see true happiness." Kai said. "Kristoff isn't like me. He doesn't go off and does a suicide mission everyday. He sticks around, something I can never do. Anna is happy with him. Elsa can never be that happy with me."

"Have you tried not doing suicide missions?" Arthar questioned.

"I know myself too well." Kai started. "And I know that it's in my nature to run off into the face of danger every time I get the chance. I'm obliged to fight. That's what I have skills in. I don't have skills in being a good husband, but by wielding a blade. It can never be that easy for me to settle down."

"Why are you telling me this?" Arthar asked. "These are inner conflicts you must deal on your own."

"I..." Kai stopped. He realized how stupid he was being, pouring out his own thoughts on marriage and himself like a wave over Arthar. These were some things that it wouldn't be entirely appropriate for Arthar to hear. What was Arthar to do? Magically change Kai's personality. Kai lost a hand, and that's all he seemed to lose.

"I'm sorry..." Kai apologized. "You're right. This is my problem, not yours."

"No apology needed, Kai." Arthar assured. "But this is one thing you must take up with Elsa. I don't think your relationship will improve at all if you believe you're not fit for the job. I am no "Love Guru", however. I cannot tell you how to fix this problem."

"I don't think it's good for my health if I have this conversation with her."

"I don't think it's good for your health if you keep acting the way you do." Arthar argued. "Kai, all of this action and all of these fights in your life are happening because you make them necessary. I believe that you're fighting for a good way to die."

"No." Kai defied. "I'm fighting because the action is what I want in life. Excitement. The rush. It's why I'm useful. It's why I can't just settle down."

"Well, in the condition you're in, you might want to reconsider that." Arthar warned. "But, why fight? There is no reason. The biggest, supernatural threat the world has ever faced is gone. There is no one with a personal vendetta against you, anymore."

_There is one, _Kai thought, _but he's nothing but a ghost of the past_.

"What reason do you have to not just settle down where you are?" Arthar asked. "Be happily married. Have children. Grow old. Die of natural causes. Don't die with a blade through your chest. That's just my advice."

"Noted." Kai acknowledged. "Any tips with the hand?"

"Don't keep it in the sun too long." Arthar warned. "It's going to burn up like a pot. I'd suggest wearing a glove over it all the time. It's an easy way to hide the metal as well."

"I wouldn't want to attract too much attention to myself in public." Kai agreed. "Although I usually find myself chasing someone when in public."

"You're going to be just fine." Assured Arthar. "Just try to refrain from being engulfed in fire and flying into the bodies of Titans."

"I got that down." Kai said.

"Well, then I'll be outside if you need me." Arthar announced. "Awaiting the others when they come to check up on you. There's a new set of clothes in the wardrobe. You best exercise and get them on yourself."

Arthar then walked off and out of the room, not looking back at Kai, leaving him to his own devices. Kai groaned in complaint, too lazy to stretch his legs just yet. However, he knew that being half-naked was not the best way to present himself to the others. Reluctantly, Kai kicked his legs to the side of the bed and over the edge while his back was still on the bed.

He prepared himself for his legs to wobble when he stood up, seeing how everything in his body was temporarily weakened. Slowly, he lifted himself up to sit upright on the bed, although that was chore in itself. Walking over to the wardrobe on the other side of the room would be a pain for him. He couldn't be half-naked, however.

So, Kai raised himself up off of his bed, extended his arms so that he didn't fall over. He then took a single step with his right foot. The fact that he didn't fall over completely made him look so much less hopeless. Since he had the hang of it, he began to casually walk over to the wardrobe. His body felt heavy at first, but he knew that he would get used to it.

Finally, he reached the wardrobe and swung the door open, wondering what fabulous set of clothes was awaiting him. He expected a completely new outfit since he was usually met with a new one. First, it was a gray and black color, then it became a white color, and then it became navy blue, and his most recent pair was black and red. What he saw was nothing new, but a another one of his navy blue outfits.

He was actually missing the navy blue one because that's the one he felt most comfortable in. What it lacked for in layers, it made up for in lightness. He fought as fast as a cheetah when in it since it did not weight him down. His previous black and red outfit provided him a thicker layer of clothing for better protection, but it limited his maneuverability. The blue one was just right.

After he was done changing, he walked over to the large window on the wall of his room. His room had a high enough view so that he could see the docks from where he was. There, he found that more than half of the ships brought over to Arendelle were gone, back to their countries of origin no doubt. However, the grandest of ships remained which were the ones to hold the royalties that came with the armies. They truly had no reason to stay any longer, yet there he saw them. Things must've been more severe than he had thought.

Kai remembered that his metal hand was left bare. Arthar had advised him to cover it, and Kai remembered owning lots of gloves in a drawer in the wardrobe. He walked back to the wardrobe and pulled the drawer below the swinging cabinets and found pairs of boots and pairs of gloves in it. He chose a brown pair of boots since his feet were bare, and he also pulled out a brown glove which had no holes to reveal anything.

He took a deep breath before sliding the glove over his hand. This was it. This was how he was going to have to live the rest of his life. Slowly, he slipped the glove on which proved to be a perfect fit. His new hand was no different from his lost one regarding shape and weight. He had to give Arthar credit where credit was due. The troll knew a few good tricks.

After slipping into his boots, he heard the door to his room opened. Immediately, he shot his head over there, expecting to see Arthar. However, he was met with a face he was more fond of.

Elsa smiled at him, and he returned the look. She ran him and squeezed him tight between her arms. A few seconds later, Anna ran in, panting as if she had just ran quite a distance.

"You're..." Elsa started. "You're fine."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Kai agreed. "Easy. I'm still not in my prime shape."

"Sorry." Elsa apologized, breaking away from the hug. "You knew you really scared me... When Kristoff said you weren't breathing."

"I had a feeling you were." Kai responded. "I came back. I always come back. You need to remember that. And, I'm more or less good as new." He raises his hand in front of Elsa.

"How did you-" Anna started to ask before she was interrupted by Elsa frisky pulling off the glove to reveal the silver color of Kai's hand. Then she remembered why they left Arthar with Kai: to heal him. Missing hand included, it seemed.

"Arthar." Elsa said, turning away from Kai. "Rollo wants-"

"Me to lead the trolls like my brother before him?" Arthar finished. "I've thought it over, believe me. I don't know..."

"Is there anything we can do to convince you to say yes?" Anna asked.

"Don't worry, child." Arthar assured. "I'll make the decision best for me and them. We shouldn't talk straight business right now. Rejoice."

"Guys?" Kristoff's voice asked from outside the doorway. A Kristoff who limped with a walking cane peeked his head in from the hallway. His reaction was similar to that of Elsa's since he smiled greatly. If his leg wasn't messed up, he would've ran at Kai with open arms.

Kristoff walked in, impatiently. "You're a legend!" Kristoff announced. "A living legend! You go into the Heart of Darkness and turn out to be completely fine, although I believe you took a few scratches." Kristoff wasn't going to ask about the hand.

"Kai, they're starting to make stories out there." Elsa informed. "They're calling you the Phoenix of Arendelle."

"Alongside the One-Armed Flame," Anna added, "the Avenger from Hell, and-"

"I'll stick with Kai if it's all the same to you." Kai insisted.

"Kai?" asked Olaf who waddled into the room, with both of his hands clasped together through his fingers. The snowman gasped when he saw that Kai was standing like nothing had ever happened. Olaf ran across the room towards Kai as fast as a fly, tackling Kai's shin and hugging his leg tightly.

"Olaf, if you're here, then who's watching Lena?" Anna asked. Her eyes then widened right before she darted out of the room to make sure her baby girl was safe and sound.

Rapunzel and Eugene immediately entered following Anna's departure, and they both were surprised by Anna's sprinting. Smiles grew on their faces when they saw Kai being surrounded by his friends; alive and well to top that. Rapunzel speed walked over to Kai and extended her arms for a hug to which Kai gladly returned. Olaf was in between Kai and Rapunzel's shins. Even Eugene couldn't help himself wrap his arms around both Kai and Rapunzel.

"You had us all worried sick." Rapunzel told Kai.

"I got lucky." Kai humbly said.

"No one else could've survived that." Eugene noted. "Well, now that I think about it, no one else could've done that period. You're a hero, Kai."

"Tell me something I don't know." Kai joked. His smile then quickly disappeared, replaced by a face of sorrow. "I guess all who died are heroes... Like Rhys..."

Eugene, Rapunzel, and Olaf broke away from Kai, all knowing that embracing him at that moment wouldn't be the most appropriate action.

"Your brother will be remembered." Elsa assured Kai, being the sole one to step up and hold Kai in her arms. "All that's left is the burying."

"Why delay?" Kai inquired.

"Because we wanted to know where you wanted to bury him." Elsa answered.

"Why do I get a choice?" Kai asked.

"Because you're the only one who has his blood." Elsa answered again. "You're his last of kin. You get the say. Would you have him buried in the castle, or-"

"No, not the castle." Kai interrupted. "He was a bit more humble than that."

"He shouldn't be in death." Elsa argued.

"No, but he still wouldn't want to buried next to kings and queens." Kai added to his argument. "He had a family. I'm guessing he buried them... He'd want to be right next to them."

"Kai, they lived all the way in Vaylor City." Elsa recalled. "He never mentioned where their bodies were."

"I have plenty of time to look." Kai assured.

**To be continued in the next chapter**

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the chapter. As always, please leave a comment/review to let me know what you think.

The next chapter will be the final chapter in the story before the epilogue, and that's the chapter where a lot of things will be resolved. With that said, I assure you, it'll be a very long chapter, maybe even up to 7k words since there's a lot which I need to fit in there.

There will be no long break between this story and the prequel which I have chosen to title 'Frozen: Phoenix Fall."

Ciao


	52. The Last Goodbye

Author's Note: Hey guys. I didn't want to ruin the mood of the chapter by putting an AN at the end, so I wanted to put it at the beginning. First off, I want to point out that this is the second to last chapter in the entire story, following the epilogue. However, if this were a movie, the credits would roll at the end of the chapter and the epilogue would be a "post credits scene" albeit a very important scene.

Thank you all who have read my story/stories. Entertaining people is what gives me this hobby, and because of it, I have decided what I want to do for a career. Although it's vague, I do want to be involved in the writing industry whether it be writing books, scripts, or just coming up with ideas. I wouldn't have chosen this path in life if it weren't for the people who enjoyed my work and gave me feedback on it. I hope I can make this.

You guys are the best fans I could ever ask for, so thank you for your support. Pros, I have some announcements. There will be a two week break between this story and my prequel, so look forward for Frozen: Phoenix Fall. It won't take me the entire year to write it unlike this story since it's probably short at about 20 or so chapters. After that, I'm working on my Game of Thrones inspired Frozen story titled The Lost Crown Chronicles which would take me probably a year to write because of my lazy pace.

The announcement that's the most painful to say is after I'm finished with The Lost Crown, I am retiring from writing stories. I'd be in my senior year or maybe off to college when I'm done writing, and I doubt I'd have any time. So, that's where I'm going to end my career on fan fiction. So, please stick with me to the end.

Now, please enjoy the chapter and leave a review if you liked it.

* * *

**The Last Goodbye**

* * *

"Glad you're actually here this time." Anna joked, standing next to Kai.

She wore the same dress she wore during Elsa's coronation, or rather something that was incredibly similar. Tailors were able to recreate it even after she lost it those many years ago. Kai, on the other hand, wore the exact same navy blue tailcoat he took as a signature look, seeing as how the suit worked surprisingly well on many occasions.

The two stood facing each other at the alter in Arendelle's courtyard chapel. All around the chapel were people dressed nicely for he fancy occasion, although it didn't officially start yet. Most people weren't sitting in their assigned seats and were just standing up, mingling and gossiping amongst each other. Those who weren't talking among their peers were either sitting on their chairs sleeping, or sitting on their chairs uncomfortably waiting for it all to begin.

To the side of the altar stood a handful of trolls, including Rollo and Arthar, who took the humans' example and talked to one another. The conversations between the trolls compared to the humans seemed incredibly bizarre since they were speaking about potions and remedies while the humans were talking about how this event would affect Arendelle and etc.

The dignitaries who brought their men into battle also appeared in the chapel and they got their own personal bench in the front row to the right. The only two who were sitting down were Ander and King Lyre, and Ander was the one chewing Lyre's ear off. Lyre wasn't fully invested in the conversation, however, so he rather just listened to the other king while his mind wandered on less consequential thoughts such as what food will be served at the party.

Rapunzel and Eugene were in the middle of talking with Olaf and playing with Lena who was laying in a little cradle to the side of the benches. Rapunzel was the one who did most of the entertaining, to which Lena actually welcomed, while Eugene was more focused on how Olaf takes care of the child and if he has any crazy stories to tell about it. Even Olaf had to fancy himself up by wearing a tie that stuck onto the snow on his body.

Kristoff and Elsa were, expectedly, no where to be found inside the chapel. Of course, the time hadn't come yet. Surely the two were preparing themselves for the big event. If they weren't there on time and/or underdressed, the biggest day of Elsa's life would be ruined once again.

"You can't hold anything against me for being absent." Kai argued against Anna. "I don't need to remind you the condition I was in the last time we set this up."

"Fair enough." Anna conceded. "And she convinced you to not bring your weapons to this. Not sure why you would even consider bringing them in the first place."

"Knowing me, would you be surprised if something bad and unexpected happens?" Kai asked. Anna looked up and started bobbing her head in agreement, getting his point. "Thought so." He continued.

"You look nervous." Anna revealed. She noticed how strangely Kai was being. The way he stood by leaning on one foot didn't really seem like the intimidating posture Kai usually called his own. The tapping of his foot made it look like he was anticipating something to happen or something to end, most likely the latter. And, the mere fact that he didn't wear a huge smile in his face on the supposedly happiest day of his life was a huge red flag.

"I wouldn't call myself nervous." Kai explained. "If there's one thing I'm not right now, it's nervous."

"Then what word would you use to describe yourself right now?" Anna asked.

"Conflicted." Kai answered instantly. His eyes looked dead serious when he told her, so she had no reason to doubt him.

"On marrying Elsa?" Anna inquired for him to confirm.

"Not necessarily." Kai corrected. "But it's nothing you should trouble yourself with right now. We can jump over that hurdle when we get to it, but right now, we're just at the starting line."

"Kai, she's my sister." Anna reminded. "If there's anything happening between you two, I deserve to know."

"I know you do, but not now." Kai argued. "We can talk about it later, but not in front of people who can create an inferno of rumors out of a single spark of a thought. We can just enjoy today and then worry tomorrow, even though there's nothing for you to worry about."

"That doesn't tell me that you'll be okay." Anna pointed out.

"I will." Kai insisted. "Soon... In my own time..."

Kai realized that Ander had finished his conversation with King Lyre who wasn't sitting down in his seat like how Kai last left him. The King of the Southern Isles had his eyes locked with Kai, meaning that either he was signaling to talk to Kai or that he was interested in his conversation with Anna. Since Ander wasn't much for gossip, he reckoned the former.

"Excuse me." Kai told Anna, excusing himself. Anna didn't look back at him when he left her. Obviously, she wasn't satisfied with the conversation and where it was headed. It ended prematurely, but Anna didn't really have any power against that.

"Back from the dead once again, Yeager." Ander started. "You must tell me your tricks or else people are going to start making rumors about you being immortal. The Immortal Phoenix. You can flatter yourself and admit that that has a catchy ring to it, isn't that right Kai?"

"Thanks for coming, Ander." Kai weakly replied. "I wouldn't mind letting that rumor spill out, by the way. It feels nice being a breathing legend."

"Parents will soon tell stories to their children about you, Kai." Ander joked. "People may even create a religion out of you."

"All I needed to do was give up a hand." Kai said, holding out his gloved left hand.

"What's the substance which-"

"Metal." Kai interrupted. "Anyway, I'm sure you didn't call me over here to talk about me being a legend."

Ander's playful demeanor towards Kai washed away, replaced by one which was all business and seriousness. "Of course." He transitioned. "Too many lives were lost: lives which could've been saved if only we had come to your aid sooner. In the case of this ever happening again -"

"Which it won't." Kai interrupted.

Ander ignored him. "In the case of similar events occurring, I proposed an idea of an international alliance between kingdoms and countries to aid each other whenever they're in dire need or whenever a global threat is happening. Elsa was hesitant to add Arendelle to that list. Lyre cautiously agreed as long as I promised him he could back out whenever he wanted. I've yet to ask Corona."

"So what do you want me to about it?" Kai asked. "I doubt I can change Elsa's mind on whatever her true answer is."

"I just wanted to inform you about my intentions." Ander revealed. "If you agree, it wouldn't hurt to try to change her decision."

Kai added something on his to-do list. Ever since he woke up, he was thinking about everything he needed to in the aftermath of the battle. He highly doubted that anyone in the world would want to mess with him after his spectacular feat to which they would soon learn about when word of it becomes international. That meant that Kai was most likely going to retire, even at twenty-five years old. It was the thing Elsa wanted most from him. However, he was not ready to retire, and he liked to keep that to himself.

"I don't think I can help you with Elsa, Ander." Kai apologized. "I'm sorry about that. But, I can see that what you're trying to do can save a lot of lives, I'm not as blind as that. So, I can help you."

"Have you anything in mind?" Ander politely inquired.

Kai leaned in closer to Ander so that his voice wouldn't be heard from anyone else besides Westerguard. Anna was the one he especially didn't want to have listen into, and she wasn't very far from him, engaging in a conversation with Rapunzel close by. Everyone underestimated Anna, but Kai wouldn't make that mistake.

"I reckon that you'd need to get the word out." Kai assumed to Ander. "So, better me to do that than you."

"I cannot ask you to travel to every single country." Ander insisted.

"Trust me, I have time." Kai promised. He realized then that it would be safe to just tell Ander his intentions right then and there since Ander really couldn't do much at all with that information.

"Ah, leaving Arendelle for a while?" Ander assumed. "Does Elsa know about this vacation of your?"

"Not yet." Kai admitted. "I wouldn't call it a vacation over a business trip. A personal business trip."

"Not sure if your future wife will be fond of the idea." Ander said.

"Technically, we're already married." Kai pointed out. "This is just the face of our marriage."

"Marry and then leave her for a while." Ander summed up. "Is your timing always this terrible?"

"More or less." Kai agreed. "But I'll be back. I'll swear to her that I'll return. Although, we have already agreed a while ago that my promises don't mean much..."

Ander chuckled. "Do as you will, and do what you want. Today is no longer for political issues, Kai. Enjoy your wedding. Stop by The Southern Isles once you're ready to go through with it."

"Wouldn't mind to pay Hans a... What's the word?"

"Visit?"

"Beating! That's the one." Kai affirmed. "I wonder what Hans is doing anyway?"

* * *

Hans sat in the pigs' pen inside the walls surrounding the castle of the Southern Isles. He wore rags and was covered in a brown, squishy substance. Either it was mud or pig feces. Either way, Hans did not like it.

"I hate my life." He said as he read a book covered in the brown.

* * *

"The Queen and the reindeer lover are outside!" Announced a man standing in front of the doors.

"He can never live that down." Anna muttered. "Places everybody!"

Just like that, everyone who wasn't where they were originally supposed to be standing moved around the inside of the chapel, creating a crowd in the aisle of people shuffling to their assigned seats, or at least their assigned row. It surprisingly took less than minute for the entire crowd to disappear and for the seats to be filled in completely. Even the pastor rushed in in time, although he looked a little messy as far as clothing went.

Kai nodded at Ander for a parting and ran up to the alter, standing sophisticatedly with his hands together behind his back. Anna took her place at the side of the altar, standing right next to Rapunzel who wore a purple dress familiar to her.

The old woman at the piano in the corner cupped her hand around her ear to wait and head for the sound of the door opening to cue her playing music.

Kai took a deep breath when the doors swung open and Elsa and Kristoff walked with their arms hooked through the isle and onto the altar. Elsa wore the same white dress made of snow she wore during the ruined wedding earlier in the month.

Both Kai and Elsa exchanged smiles.

* * *

The reception party set up during the ceremony was louder and more unprofessional than any party Arendelle has ever thrown, and they have thrown plenty of grand parties. Two grand chairs were set up against the wall opposite to the large doors that led into the ballroom. Set against all the other walls were endless tables of different foods, desserts, and drinks. People had to keep running back and forth from the kitchens to the ballroom in order to keep all of the sustenance filled up.

The entire room was packed with not many space for walking. Each time someone wanted to travel to another location within the room, they had to brush against at least one person. However, there was still enough space between each person so that they could enjoy the party, meaning either the delicacies or the dance floor. A musical group sat at the corner of the room, playing with their instruments as best as they could.

Elsa sat in one of the grand chairs with her sister sitting to her right with baby Lena in Anna's arms. The chair Anna was sitting in was meant for Kai, but he was currently preoccupied with other people they assumed, so Anna just helped herself to his seat. They both wore the exact same dress they wore in the chapel, so they had to be careful with the cups of refreshments in their hand. Neither of them were drinking any alcohol, but rather a nice juice put together by the chefs.

In conversation with the sisters was Rapunzel and two other woman who must've been normal civilians with the honor of speaking to the Queen and two princesses.

"It's too embarrassing to talk about!" Anna said, blushing as she took a sip of her drink.

"Oh come on! We're all adults here." Rapunzel insisted. "You and Kristoff's relationship hasn't looked like it deteriorated at all! What favors are you doing for him... If you know what I mean."

"Rapunzel, I wouldn't be entirely fond of hearing my sister's bedroom adventures." Elsa revealed. "It's not the most appropriate thing to talk about at my wedding reception, don't you think?" Elsa sipped some more juice from her glass while Anna silently mouthed a thank you to her sister.

Elsewhere, standing around in circle right next to the table filled with different kinds of alcohol, was Kai, Kristoff, King Ander, King Lyre, and Eugene. Kai and Kristoff stood face to face with full bottles of vodka in their hands, staring each other down. The other men stood and watched carefully at the two, wondering who was going to die first.

"You're making a big mistake by doing this, Kristoff." Kai warned. "This could hurt you, and I don't think you could take it?"

"That some kind of trash talk?" Kristoff inquired. "You're too scared to face me in this?"

"I'm scared for your health, Kristoff." Kai said. "I know I could win this easily. My powers apparently give me a slight resistance to alcohol, so it'll take a bit more than a bottle of vodka to take me down. For you, I think you'll finish a fifth of the bottle. Tops."

"Yeager, this is only the start of a few games we're playing tonight." Kristoff challenged.

Kai sighed and shrugged, believing that he couldn't change Kristoff's mind about this. He really didn't want Kristoff to look bad in front of everyone, but if Kristoff was asking for it, Kai reckoned he deserved it.

"Whoever spits, drops the bottle, or passes out first loses." Eugene announced. "Ready? Three, two, one, drink!"

Kristoff and Kai quickly raised the bottle to their lips and began to drink as fast as they could. Kai showed no sign of conceding while Kristoff's face got immediately red after a second of drinking. Only after four seconds did Kristoff take the bottle away from his mouth and throw up all over the floor in front of his shoes. The other men around them laughed at the miner's expense.

Bjorgman was sips away from passing out while Kai finished about half of his bottle by the time he took the drink away from him. It took an entire half of a bottle for Kai to start blinking and shaking his head side-to-side. After he let out a sigh from the drink. Those who were laughing at Kristoff seemed incredibly confused at Kai. In return, Kai was confused at them for them being confused at him. He didn't believe he did anything worth raising an eyebrow.

"What's the problem?" Kai asked, confused.

"You just drank half a bottle of vodka." Eugene summarized. "And nothing? Nothing effecting you?"

"Vision blurred for a second." Kai revealed. "But you're not going to find me throwing up over anything."

"You're reputation of being legendary holds." Lyre clapped. "Sixty-five years, and all of my life, I've never seen anyone do what you did before."

"When you find a challenger, tell me." Kai humbly bowed. "Until then, excuse me."

Kai walked off and away from the group while Ander and Eugene tried to get the life back into Kristoff. Watching from her chair, Elsa was eyeing Kai as he moved through the ballroom until he eventually exited through one of the side doors which led to one hallway of the castle. That seemed incredibly like Kai; keeping his distance even when in the presence of so many who cared about him.

Curious as to what Kai was going to do this time, Elsa excused herself from the other women and walked through the crowd, heading for the doors in which Kai went through. However, on her way, she had to nod, acknowledge, and greet a handful of people who were dying to speak with her. For every person who she met, she had to apologize about leaving prematurely. The most fantastic part of it all was that Elsa managed to greet and leave without being rude at all.

Elsa swung open the large door, knowing that she wouldn't be followed. There were guards stationed everywhere, including in the hallway, and it was their job to make sure that the guests didn't wander anywhere they weren't allowed to wander. The farthest they could explore the castle was the bathroom.

"Where'd he go?" Elsa asked a vigilant guard, and she automatically assumed he knew who she was talking about. Kai was no longer in her sights, so she didn't want to follow blindly.

"Upstairs, your majesty." The guard answered.

She frisky left the guard to his job and to his own devices. Incredibly curious as to what he was up to, Elsa increased her pace every few seconds. When she made a turn for the stairs down the hallway, she took the stairs two steps at a time, and because of that, she made it up in almost no time. Hopefully, she would see Kai standing down the hallway she walked up into, but he was physically nowhere to be seen. However, the door to her study was left ajar, and since all the other doors were closed, that gave her the only clue she needed for Kai's whereabouts.

Quickly, she walked down the hallway until she reached the door. Her footsteps surely echoed through the corridor, and Kai surely heard them through the ajar door. Elsa wasn't reluctant to open her study door to see her new husband inside. Surely enough, Kai was leaning against the railing on the balcony outside of the study with both of his palms resting against the carved stone.

"It was getting a little bit too rowdy down there." Kai said to Elsa without looking back. "I needed some fresh air."

He was scanning down below at the courtyard to see a fair amount of guests loitering since there was not much room left in the ballroom. They were lucky enough to have tables of food and drinks out in the middle of the courtyard, although it wasn't nearly as much as was inside.

"You should be enjoying the wedding day, Kai." Elsa lectured. She walked through her office and around her desk until she leaned against the railing right next to Kai. She put her hand over his, and he didn't object. "People might think you have more social issues than I did. This is peace time, Kai. Hopefully for forever. Can you just enjoy it?"

"Peacetime, yes." Kai confirmed. "No one would have the balls to rise up against us anymore. At least against Arendelle, I mean. But..."

"What?"

"Peace..." Kai repeated. "I almost forgot the meaning of the word. I never knew what true peace was since I was eight. After I left home, every day was a battle."

"And now you have a chance for the fighting to stop." Elsa assured.

"I wouldn't want anything more in life." Kai smiled at Elsa. She could tell how forced the smile was, and how reluctant his next words would be. The smile soon faded after a second. "But that's not who I am. That's not what I was meant to be."

"Kai, you're the Phoenix of Arendelle." Elsa reminded. "You can be whoever you want to be."

"That's what Deren told me before he took his last breath." Kai revealed. "I want to have a family, but that's not who I was born to be. Elsa, I was gifted with these powers so I could use them. I have skills that would go to waste if I spent the rest of my life sitting in a chair. Crime will drop significantly here. There's no need for a Captain of the Guard anymore."

"All the more reason for you to settle down with me." Elsa said, squeezing Kai's hand. "You defeated the Bandits and disbanded them forever. You stopped the human-trafficking trade here under our very noses. You defeated Mara and Deren, eliminating the supernatural threats that we know of. There's no more that can be asked of you."

"Then maybe I'll look for something to call my name." Kai said. "Elsa, this is what I'm good at. Solving the problems who no one else could. The world stills need the Phoenix. One last time."

"Then tell me what you suggest you're going to do." Elsa requested.

"First off, I need to bury Rhys. I need to find where his family is and bury him beside them." Kai started. "Then, I made a deal with Ander about advertising his alliance. I think it's a good idea. And after that, there's a lot of unfinished business for me. There're some ties I need cut and resolved."

"Why can't you leave those wounds open?" Elsa asked. "You're strong enough so that they can't bother you."

"Perhaps." Kai admitted. "But this a wound I need closed. That, and I still have a little adventure left in me."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Elsa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It means that if anyone needs the help of the Phoenix where I travel, and they are desperate, I might solve their problems." Kai answered.

"Kai, you sound like you're touring the world." Elsa summarized.

"I could be." Kai admitted. "Elsa, I'm not like you in this regard. I think... I like the thrill of journeys. I like fighting for the sake of others. It's what gives me purpose."

Elsa pulled Kai's head closer to hers and so they could face each other. Kai was forced to lean down a bit in order to have his head where Elsa wanted it.

"Not anymore." Elsa asserted as she kissed Kai in the lips.

She could feel the slight tug of him refusing the kiss, but after a few seconds, he stopped struggling and let it happen. Kissing was not one of the things Kai wanted to shy away from, but this kiss was obviously the incentive for him to stay. But, Kai didn't want an incentive. He didn't need an incentive.

When they broke away, Kai didn't smile like he normally did whenever the two met their lips.

"I've made up my mind..." Kai sadly announced to Elsa. "This is something I have to do. This is something I want to do."

Elsa sighed in disappointment rather than break into tears in order for Kai to stay. She knew better than to play the guilt card. Kai was above that. He usually knew what was best to do, and if he had his mind set on something, there wasn't much Elsa could do to stop him from achieving his goals.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Elsa asked with sadness in her eyes as she took her hands away from Kai.

"A year at the least." Kai answered. "After that... Who knows? I'll be where I'm needed, and I'll return when there is no serious need for the Phoenix. And when that happens - when I come back - I'll settle down. I bet all the adventure would be out of my system by then."

"Then I guess I'll need to wait for you again..." Elsa said, looking out at the port of Arendelle. She saw all of the ships that completely took up the space, imagining it to be clear once again.

"I'd ask you to come with me, but I know that's something you can't do." Kai sadly said. "We should've seen this coming. Our paths would never be the same since the beginning."

"Maybe they don't have to be." Elsa assured. "Because we always end up crossing paths. Okay Kai, you can go on your adventure. I need you to just come back to me in the end." She rested her head on Kai's shoulder, and he didn't resist the affection. All he could think about was how incredibly easy Elsa was being to him. If he didn't love it, he would've searched for a catch.

"I'll write." Kai promised. "As often as I can, and as long as I am willing."

"When you leave, don't keep me waiting too long." Elsa ordered.

"We'll have to see about that, won't we?" Kai joked.

* * *

_"So, there's nothing we can do?" Anna asked. _

Arthar stood on top of the pedestal-like table inside the cave where his brother, Pabbie, died trying to help Kai. The handle of Ludicium was in his hand. The new leader of the trolls sported a new cape of grass, similar to the one his brother wore.

_"I'm sure there's a way to keep him home." Elsa revealed._

Giving the blade one last shake, Arthar checked if the blade could eject out like it did when Anna first touched it. However, he wasn't worthy enough to wield it, meaning it continued to be in the state of nothing more than a handle.

_"Then, why aren't you trying harder?" Kristoff asked. "I mean, he is your husband now."_

Reluctantly, Arthar dropped the blade on the stone table where it did a small bounce, yet it miraculously remained in the middle of it. The trolls could no longer make the mistake of forgetting about the sword's location. Too much time was lost in the search for it.

_"Because I know that he'll never be truly happy with himself if he doesn't do this." Elsa answered. "He'll come back when he's got it all out of his system, and then, we can all be together again."_

Arthar hopped off of the pedestal, not looking back at the sword, knowing that it'll be kept safe there. He knew that there was a small opening at the ceiling above the pedestal, and he just had to make sure that that was patched up sooner rather than later.

_"What if he doesn't come back?" Kristoff bluntly asked._

"Close it." Arthar ordered a few trolls when he exited the cave. In response to his order, they together pushed a large, stone boulder in front of the entrance to the cave. Countless other trolls witnessed the sealing of the sword.

_"You know Kai, Kristoff." Elsa reminded. "He always comes back, no matter the circumstances."_

"And what of the broken blade of darkness?" Asked Rollo who walked up next to Arthar.

"I suppose having this in our possession won't be the wisest thing after all." Arthar said. "I hear Kai is going on quite the trip. Perhaps he can throw it in the middle of the ocean."

_"Are you going to be fine without him, Elsa?" Anna asked. _

"Brothers and sisters." Arthar announced. "We must never let anything that had recently happened get lost in history. Which is why it is our job to record it and memorialize it. Any objections?"

_"Of course I'll be fine, Anna." Elsa assured. "I still have you guys, and sometimes, that's enough."_

"None?" Arthar said. "Good. Let's get to work!"

* * *

Anna held Lena in her arms tightly as she walked alongside Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven as they walked down from the castle to the docks in the afternoon when the sun was setting beautifully. It was a sad day, meaning rain would've been more appropriate, however, they weren't complaining.

Olaf seemed the most upset out of all of them as he had yet to understand the logic in Kai leaving for a while. He was confused when he learned that nothing was being forced on Kai. Voluntary leave was still a mystery to him.

"Can't we just go with him?" Olaf asked.

"Where he is going is no place for us, Olaf." Anna sadly informed. "I'm sad to, but if this is what he wants, then that's what he must do."

"There are a lot of loose ends that need resolution for him." Kristoff reminded. "I guess it's better to finish this all now rather than in his later years." Kristoff no longer needed the use of a cane to walk so Kai's latest memory of him wouldn't be of a cripple.

"When he's gone, I guess we'll be back to where we used to be, right Elsa?" Anna announced.

Elsa managed a chuckle. "I doubt we'll ever be back to where you and I were too long ago. You still have a baby to take care of, remember? Plus, things changed for us so quickly. Only one year after I stopped being a shut in did I meet Kai. Too many drastic changes in too little time."

"I kind of wanted to go back to being the kids we were, Elsa." Anna wished. "Before all of this. Before all of this... Struggle."

"Hopefully, there won't be anymore of that." Elsa prayed. "The world's biggest threat is over. Everyone knows what Arendelle and our allies have done. Perhaps, we can finally have unending peace in our lives. It'll be just like the good old days when we were kids. Just living life to its fullest..."

"We certainly came a long way." Anna reminded.

"That we have, little sister." Elsa agreed. "That we have."

When they arrived at the docks, they found Kai standing at the edge with his backs faced to them, enjoying the setting sun in the distance over the ocean. To his right was his personal ship with a crew fit for its new captain. Although he was unexperienced, Kai requested to be the captain of his own ship since it would be less of a pain than begging for spots on foreign boats.

Kai had almost no luggage with him, probably because he wasn't willing to drag it along with him. He did, however, possess a large bag of coin strapped to his waist. No doubt for emergencies. Also, he of course carried his weapons along with the black blade with the goal of tossing it into the ocean with a weight added to it.

His new family approached him on the dock, and he turned around once he heard their footsteps.

"I have to do this." Kai reminded. "Maybe after it's all done can I have a good nights rest."

"Yesterday was your wedding, and today is your goodbye." Kristoff said. "Time these events better, Kai."

"I couldn't have any better timing." Kai argued. "Arendelle is finally safe, hopefully. There won't be anyone who would want to toy with us anymore. In peace time, I can get some demons off of my back."

Elsa took Kai's hands in hers. "All of these years, and you're still leaving." Elsa reminded. "I'm starting to doubt whether you even enjoy being around us."

"Well Elsa, once every month with you, I do think about going away to-"

"Okay, I don't need anymore of your jokes, Kai." Elsa asserted. "But damn it, I'm going to miss them." She then wrapped her arms around Kai who was caught by surprise. However, he didn't dare let go, knowing that might be the last time he talked to her in a while.

Some citizens in Arendelle gathered around the docks to see the tearful goodbye, knowing the situation. It was shame since they rather like their Captain of the Guard. None of them dared to step onto the docks, however. They were smart enough to know to keep their space from their superiors.

A young girl in her teens stood at the front of the group of gathered people. Believing that she could make the goodbye much more sweet, she began to sing.

_"Of all the money, that e're I had / I've spent it in good company"_

"Don't cry." Kai gently told Elsa. "I'll be back before you know it. Then, we can finally be what you always wanted us to be. But not now, Elsa. Now, I have to be what I need me to be."

_"And all the harm that e're I've done / Alas it was to none but me"_

"I thought a friend told you to be who you want to be..." Elsa reminded.

"A phrase I'll live by when my duty is dead." Kai assured. "But my duty still calls, and I have to answer it. For me."

_"And all I've done for want of wit / To memory now, I can't recall"_

"I honestly can't remember the last time I did a favor to myself." Kai muttered, even though Elsa heard it perfectly. She broke away from Kai, knowing that there were many others who still needed to say their goodbyes, and they were all just as heartbroken as Elsa was.

Kai was then approached by Kristoff. Instead of shaking Kai's hand like Kai held his hand out for, Kristoff squeezed Kai with a bear-like hug. If only could Kai see the life being sucked out of him.

_"So fill to me the parting glass / Goodnight and joy be with you all"_

"This is farewell for now, Kai." Kristoff said. "Come back soon, okay? I don't want to be the only one taking care of these girls."

"The way I see it," Kai started, "they're taking care of _you_. We've had a great run, Kristoff. But, I need one final run without you. No offense, but you": just slow me down."

Kristoff kindly responded by laughing. He then broke the hug and nodded at Kai with a grin.

_"Of all the comrades that e'er I had / They're sorry for my going away"_

Kai rubbed his hand over Sven's head, and the reindeer licked Kai's cheek to show affection. Instead of being disgusted and uncomfortable, Kai enjoyed the loving gesture.

Olaf hugged Kai's leg to which Kai patted his head to.

"If someone told me five years ago that I would be good friends with a reindeer and talking snowman, I would've been skeptical." Kai joked. "But it's been an honor knowing you both."

"One last warm hug from me." Olaf stated.

Olaf didn't let go, even when Kai stepped forward to say goodbye to Anna.

_"And all the sweethearts, that e're I've loved / They'd wish me one more day to stay"_

"Thank you, Kai." Anna said. "I know I've said it too many times that the words may be hollow, but thank you. None of this would've been possible if not for you. You've gotten us out of really tight spot and saved our lives more than I could've saved yours. We can never really repay you for-"

"But you already have." Kai enlightened. "You gave me something worth living for, and to me, that's bigger than anything I've ever done to you. Thank you all for that."

Anna rushed to hug Kai when he extended his arm. She wanted to just cry on his shoulder, but that wasn't something appropriate for her to do. She couldn't keep the hug for long since Lena was in-between their bodies. It also wasn't much of a hug since Kai was the only one with arms wrapped around someone.

"I'm not dying." Kai reminded. "Hopefully, I won't be anytime soon."

_"And since it falls unto my lot"_

Elsa put her hand on Kai's shoulder when Anna broke away from the hug. He turned around to face his new wife only to be attacked with a kiss from Elsa. She grabbed him by the clothes over his chest and squeezed tight.

When they broke, they stared at each other for what seemed like a minute in their eyes.

"I just needed to remind you about what you're missing out on." Elsa whispered in his ears.

"You'll always be in my thoughts, princess." Kai whispered back. "I love you... But I can't be with you right now."

_"That I should rise and you should not"_

When Kai turned away from Elsa, she gently held his hand while he entered the large plank which led onto the ship. When the two could not extend their arms any longer, they reluctantly let go of each other's hands. Only when he was on the ship did Kai lean over the edge and look at his family.

For the first time in so long, he had a new family. Rhys was his blood, but the two never did anything together that family should do. Kai liked to deny Rhys' claim that they were brothers when they first met. Only then did Kai regret it.

For a second, Kai looked behind him to find two coffins on his boat. One contained his brother, Rhys. The other one contained Deren whose corpse Kai had to carry out of Mara's temple earlier that day.

_"I'll gently rise, and softly call"_

Kai turned back at Elsa and the others and waved gently. They returned the favor. The good citizens kept their respectful silence, but they too waved.

"Will he visit?" Olaf asked. "He can always visit in his trip, right?"

"I'm sure he'll want to." Elsa said. "But I don't think he wants to go through the pain of leaving once again. I' sure that the next time we see his face, he's here to stay."

"Captain, we need a heading." Requested a member of the crew.

"The Southern Isles." Kai quietly obliged. "After that... Who knows?"

"If you're ready, then we can leave right away." The crewman offered.

"I'm ready." Kai said. "There's no point in letting this wound bleed anymore."

In acknowledgment, the sailor nodded and walked away from Kai, shouting orders to the other shipmates. Kai didn't leave his spot when the sails were down and the ship slowly began to move.

"I swear, I'll come back." Kai promised to his family. "Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again..." Elsa repeated, smiling. "Kai, this better be the last goodbye. And next time we meet better be the last hello."

_"Goodnight and joy be with you all" _

The singing girl finished the song, The Parting Glass, and the people around who heard applauded due to its beauty. Even Anna shot the girl a smile.

"So what now?" Kristoff asked the others.

"We wait." Elsa answered. "We live. We remember. There's still a lot of life left for us to enjoy, Kristoff. We better make the best use of it."

Elsa offered Anna her arm, and the sisters walked together past the dividing crowd with linked arms, talking about what the future held for them next.

* * *

Back on the ship, Kai stood at the helm of the ship, both hands on the wheel. He was still trying to get used to steering the ship, but he was mastering it quite easily. The same crew mate who first talked to Kai stood at his left, taking the part of his personal first mate.

"Sir," asked the man, "after stopping at The Southern Isles, where do you truly think we'll be?"

"We'll be where people still need The Phoenix of Arendelle." Kai answered. "And after my help is no longer yearned for. After I have resolved all that keeps me up at night. After all of that, then there would be no doubts about going."

"Going where?"

Kai smiled.

"Home."

**To be continued in the final chapter of InfiniteAssassin's Phoenix Trilogy**


	53. Epilogue: The Last Hello

Author's Note: Here we are, at the end of the end. The prequel titled, Frozen: Pheonix Fall, will be released in mid-August, so look out for that. Ciao.

* * *

**The Last Hello **

* * *

**Eight Years Later**

"I really don't think we should be this far from the castle." Warned the six year old prince, Agdar, while he tried to catch up with the others. He was always the cautious one in the group, always second guessing whether or not they should do certain activities. He got that from his father who was more or less always thought before he acted.

Agdar was the wisest of the group, most probably, because he never voluntarily did any activity with his sister and cousin which would get them into any harm. The wise he had most likely came from his grandfather from which he was named after. He arrived his mother's strawberry blonde hair along with his father's light brown eyes. Being the youngest, he was also the shortest, and he didn't like being underestimated by his sister and cousin on anything just because he was short.

It was late in the afternoon as they ran through the streets of Arendelle. The sun was still setting, and the fall air was cool in the country. It was a rather quiet day on Arendelle as always. Things have been quiet for roughly seven years.

"Don't worry about that!" Eight year old Lena insisted.

Her long, blonde hair was tied into two pigtail braids like her mother always wore. The hair raced behind her head as she ran. Being the eldest, she was taller than her cousin and younger brother. Also, her mother, father, and aunt have officially named Lena the leader of the little trio of children. The trio would've expanded come a few years since Agdar and Lena had a new baby sister which their mother had just given birth to.

Despite being the leader, Lena was still quite naive and curious about all things. She liked exploring and investigating things, many times she knew not to inspect. Despite being princes and princesses, they still got in trouble a handful of times, and they never seemed to have learned their lesson.

"There's nothing much to do back home." Stated the middle of the trio, Rhys. Rhys was no sibling to Lena or Agdar, and he was their only cousin. Lena and Agdar have always found it strange that their aunt, the Queen, had never birthed a second child. Whenever they brought up the topic of Rhys' father, they were told that he had gone off on adventures and they hoped for him to come back soon.

They knew that Rhys' father had left the same year in which Rhys was born. They also knew that he was named after somebody close to his father. To add to that, they were told stories of the man like he was a folk-tale, doing all these tremendous things, and he was off doing so many other deeds.

Rhys even resembled his father a bit. He carried his father's black hair, but his eyes were that of his mother, Elsa. What he didn't possess from either of his parents were their abilities. Rhys was told his father had abilities of fire, and he knew for a fact that his mother had manipulation over ice. She demonstrated that by treating the children every so often.

The attitude Rhys had definitely matched that of his father's. Unlike his mother, he was always jumping around, rambunctious, hyper, and he had quite the sass. Many mothers would've been angered at their child for having such qualities, but not Elsa. She would always just laugh and tell him that he was just like his father.

The three children ran through a street in the city, almost vacant save for the few people traveling through it doing their daily business. None of the adults paid the children any mind, believing that the princes and princess knew what they were doing and believing that there was at least one person keeping an eye on them. How were they to know the children abandoned the castle to seek out adventures?

"I don't think we should've left Olaf back like that." Agdar revealed. "He's probably looking everywhere for us."

"Relax, little brother." Lena said. "We'll be back before you know it, and we'll just say that we're just too good at playing hide and seek."

The three eventually entered a plaza-like circular clearing when they ran down the street. In the middle of it was a fountain which had moss growing all over it. Buildings surrounded the fountain in a circle, leaving about twenty five meters space. Three streets opened up between the buildings, including the street Rhys, Lena, and Agdar came from.

"Lena, do you know where we are?" Rhys asked. "We took so many turns I lost which direction we were headed."

"Hm..." Lena thought.

She turned in a full three-sixty degrees to scan the area in which they were standing it. Walking around towards the beginning of each street, she found that at the very end of one of the streets was the sight of the ocean, meaning the docks were most probably at the end of that street. However, that also meant that they were closer to the castle than they realized.

"Good news is I know where we are." Lena said. "Bad news is that home isn't far away."

"That's a good thing." Agdar insisted. "It means we can run straight home in case anything goes sour."

"That's not going to happen." Rhys promised. "We're royalty, Agdar. What could possibly go wrong?"

"If I had a coin for every time you've said that, I'd have enough to buy a castle of my own." Lena joked. "Anyway, what do you guys wanna play? I'm a little tired off playing hooky."

"Hide and seek?" Rhys suggested.

"Isn't that the reason we're here?" Agdar inquired. "We shouldn't play anything too noisy, either. There are people in these buildings."

"I doubt it." Rhys argued. "Almost everyone had left to the Field of Flight, remember. It's also the reason my mom, Aunt Anna, and Uncle Kristoff had left the castle. It's the anniversary of the dark thing."

"Don't you think they should've invited us?" Lena asked. "As a... I don't know... Formality."

"Knowing us, they probably left us at the castle so that we wouldn't cause too much trouble." Agdar said. "I bet it would've been boring anyways. Aunt Elsa would've given a long speech and people would stand there with their heads bowed down and hands folded."

"Well, I can't complain." Rhys humbly said. "We have an entire city for ourselves for the time being."

"Just don't go off and burn it down, Rhys." Lena jested.

"That's more of my father's thing... I think." Rhys said. "Lena, you were born before he left. Do you remember anything? About him, I mean."

"I was only a baby." Lena reminded. "I don't know anymore about him than you do. I can't even recall his face."

"My mommy keeps a picture of him at her nightstand next to her bed." Rhys revealed. "I've seen it a few times. She was also in the picture. They looked... Happy, together. Happier than I've ever seen her before. Do you think if he comes back, things will be better?"

"How better could things get?" Agdar wondered out loud. "We have everything a kid could ask for, Rhys."

"Well, not everything." Rhys argued. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here away from the castle. The one thing we don't have there is adventure, little cousin."

"Adventure isn't really meant for three kids." Agdar said, worried.

"It never will be if you keep thinking like that." Lena said, lightly punching Agdar's arm.

The door of the building closest to them in the circular plaza opened from the inside. All three of them turned towards the direction of the door to find three men walk out of it. The men did not look friendly at all. They're clothes looked anything but casual, two of the men had faces riddled with scars, and the demeanor they brought with them were incredibly menacing.

Two of them were large, thick, and muscular, and they were at least six feet tall. The third one was much shorter and skinnier, however, the quality of the clothes he was wearing was much better than the other two, indicating that he must've been the leader of the group, or at least the one with the ability to call the shots. The other two must've been nothing more than henchmen.

"I need witnesses out of the area." The small one said to the two larger men. "When the exchange happens, I don't want anyone stray to go and-"

Before the man could finish his sentence, he caught Rhys, Lena, and Agdar in his eyes. The other two men had seen the children before the smaller man, but they refrained from telling their leader anything until they got their orders.

"You three should scram before you get yourselves into trouble." The smaller man warned.

"We should go." Lena whispered to Rhys.

"What kind of idiotic parents would let their children wander around like monkeys?" The man complained. "I bet some whore too busy pleasing strangers would be your parents."

"Oh dear." Agdar whispered, knowing how Rhys would react. He was always so proud, having to stand up taller than everyone whenever he entered the room. Whenever he overheard someone talking smack about his mother, which was quite often heard during parties the castle held, he would confront whoever made the comment, although it usually ended up with him being scolded by his mother.

"I'm sorry, but my mother doesn't have that job, unlike you." Rhys bit back.

The man grit his teeth and looked at Rhys with angered eyes. "Watch your tongue boy, or you'll lose it." He threatened.

"I'm not afraid of you." Rhys proudly said. "I'm Prince Rhys of Arendelle, son of Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and heir to my mother's throne. I deserve your respect."

"The boy has balls." Chuckled one of the henchmen.

"Prince, you say?" Asked the leader, grinning at the corner of his mouth.

"Uh, Rhys..." Agdar whispered. He knew that the road the conversation was taking them was not a road anyone would enjoy to ride through.

"That's right." Rhys confirmed. "This is Prince Agdar, and this is Princess Lena. As your superiors, I order you to submit your respect to me."

The one thing Rhys had was time if not anything else. He had time to learn how to speak formally with strangers. He had time to learn how to talk in an intimidating tone in order to show others who's boss. The vocabulary the three used wasn't common among normal children, but they weren't normal children. They were the offspring of those who fought for something bigger than country squabbles.

"You think you're my superior?" Scoffed the man. "From where I'm standing, you look pretty, pretty small."

"Rhys, I think we should-" Lena was interrupted by the boasting child before she could finish her thought.

"Disrespect is going to cost you dearly." Rhys threatened. "I'll have the guards-"

"And where are the guards, might I ask?" The man smugly asked. "They're not here aren't they. Off doing that memorial in the field I suppose. Nobody can help you here little boy."

The man could tell how nervous Rhys was getting. His silence was the man's answer for confirmation about Rhys' nervousness. The boy's heartbeat grew faster, knowing how bad things cold escalate.

Lena grabbed Rhys' arm. "Let's go." She told him.

Reluctantly, Rhys turned along with Lena and Agdar to run back to the castle. Unfortunately, they were met by a much larger than three group of men. All of the men had their muscular bodies covered in clothes. Like the men Rhys and his cousins had just encountered, they were riddled with scars and scratches. Those who had hair had greasy hair. Those without greasy hair were just plain bald.

Some of the men were holding large, unopened chests. Whatever the contents, the children could just imagine.

It wasn't their appearances that spooked the children. It was the fact that they all carried weapons, ranging from spiked bats, swords, and axes. A few carried pistols, although no more than three men. Altogether, it looked like nine men had gathered to form the group. Adding the nine to the other three would make twelve men in all, and they were anything but friendly.

"These runts look familiar, Gren." The man in the front of the the group of nine men said. He was not as built as the others were, and was much better looking.

"They revealed themselves to be the country's very own princes and princess." The small man informed. His named seemed to be Gren.

"Royalty?" The other man said, not sure if he heard Gren right. "Out here without any supervision? Not even a damn guard? This is too perfect."

"Easy, Lance, I found them first." Gren reminded. "I deserve to be the one to ransom them."

"Boys?" The one named Lance called. All of the men behind him unsheathed a weapon while Gren watched helplessly at the threat.

"I don't care who saw who first." Lance argued. "I have the muscle to take the candy, do I make myself clear?"

Gren was obviously not happy with the way things were going.

"We're not property!" Lena yelled. "Run!" She ordered to her cousin and brother. The children tried running to the right, in between both parties of thugs. However, they weren't fast enough to run beside a man from Lance's group who stepped to the side with a weapon in hand.

When they turned around to run the other direction, they found that it took was being blocked by an armed man. They were surrounded by hostiles.

"What do we do?" Rhys asked Lena.

Instead of answering, she screamed at the top of her lungs "HELP!" in the hopes of someone hearing her.

* * *

"Fine, the kids are yours." Gren reluctantly gave. "As long as you have the merchandise I payed for, we'll be square."

In between both parties were Lena, Rhys, and Agdar, all sitting down, facing outward with a rope tying them together. Lena had rope tied around her head so that her mouth was covered. Not long after Lena screamed for help, some men subdued the three and tied them down. Lena, being the seemingly most problematic, had her mouth stuffed with rope.

"Well, what are the chances that they had just enough rope to wrap around us three." Rhys stated.

"Yep." Agdar agreed.

"I mean, it was as if they had the rope because they knew this was going to happen." Rhys continued. "I mean, for what other reason would they-"

"Silence!" Barked Lance.

"You can't do this!" Agdar said, defiantly. "You can't kidnap us!

"And who the hell is there to stop me, kid?" Lance asked, smugly. "Your mommy? She's so far away, she won't be able to hear your screams. No one else in the city who could don't have the balls to stand up against us."

"You're even dumber than I thought you are." Chuckled little Rhys. Lance was not at all happy with being talked down to by a seven year old. "You really think that you can get away with a ransom? Mama is smarter than you think. You're going to get busted, and-"

"Enough!" Lance yelled, sweeping down to smack Rhys' cheek.

Rhys has never been struck before by anyone. No adult has ever thought to harm him, and here was this stranger who planned nothing but harm for Rhys and his cousins. He looked back up at Lance with a swollen cheek, gritting his teeth, and kicking his legs. The other men around Lance started chuckling when Rhys gave them the stare of hatred.

"Little boy never had a boo-boo?" Lance mocked.

Both Lena and Agdar shared the same look of hate Rhys had. Even though they were children, they felt like they could topple down anyone in their way.

"Giving kids a hard time?" Asked the voice of a man from what sounded like above. "That's a new low, even for you Lance."

Confused, Lance started. "Who the hell is- Wait. That voice. You sound just like-"

Before he could finish the thought, a small object was thrown in from above, seemingly the rooftop, and the entire area of the empty plaza including the men and the three children was engulfed in smokes. The trio and the men started coughing while desperately looking around for the one to cause this.

Inside the smoke, nothing but black silhouettes could be seen. However, what could be heard was the grunts of men in pain, the drop of their weapons to the ground, and the sounds of hand to hand violence.

Rhys, reluctantly keeping his eyes open, saw a black silhouette from the smoke take down a majority of the men behind the silhouette of Lance in two hits or less. Lena, who was facing Gren and his two men originally, could see that the two larger men fleeing while Gren stood with a small knife in hand, twisting left and right looking for their assailant.

"What are you?!" Gren screamed in the smoke.

When he heard the scream of Lance, Gren knew that it was over for him. Before he could even attempt to run, his face slammed against the hard stone ground, and then there was a blackout.

Rhys, Lena, and Agdar could feel the rope cut around them. The silhouette of the man stood a foot away from the children, cutting the rope with the end of his sword. The kids immediately ran in the opposite direction of the man, out of the smoke. Lena pulled off her gag as they escaped the smoke.

Both Rhys and Agdar were bent on fleeing the scene entirely since nothing good would come out of staying, however, they stopped running when they realized that Lena was standing on the outside of the smoke cloud, not budging.

"Come on Lena, we have to go!" Agdar said, grabbing his sister's arm.

"Not until we see who saved us." Lena argued. "We owe him our thanks."

"She's right." Rhys said. "If he wanted to hurt us, he would've done so."

Agdar hated not having any impact on what they were doing. On so many occasions did he put in his two cents, only to be shot down by his elders. But, things weren't going to go his way, and he knew that. Things usually never did.

"Hello?" Lena asked the man inside the smoke.

The silhouette of the man became more clear the closer he walked to the children. They backed up out of caution when he fully emerged from the smoke.

The man wore dominantly black, with the only exceptions being articles of clothing unrelated to his tailcoat. His hood was large enough to cover his eyes in the shadows under it. The only facial features they could see was his mouth and nose area. He had a full beard on his face, although it was trimmed very short.

On his back was a sword strap which was pointed diagonally. Attached to his waist was a fairly large bag with many round items in it, and a dagger.

"You kids alright?" The man asked.

"More or less." Answered Lena. "Thank you, mister. If you hadn't have been there..."

"I know what they were going to do." The man explained. "I heard a cry for help when I exited my boat on the docks. I'm assuming that was you."

Lena nodded.

"Smart." He complimented. "But, what I want to know is why did you guys get tied up in the first place."

"We uh..." Started Rhys.

The man stared at Rhys with his hidden eyes, asking himself why the child seemed so familiar to him. Rhys didn't know what he was looking at though, so at least the man could keep his thoughts secret.

"We ran away from home to go play." Agdar revealed.

"What of your parents?" The man asked. "Shouldn't they be keeping an eye on you."

"They're not home, for the moment, at least." Rhys answered.

"Doesn't seem like anyone is." The man observed.

"They're all off to the Fields of Flight." Lena informed. "For a memorial service."

"Can't blame them for not bringing kids along." The man said. "You-"

The chatter of people grew louder and louder in the distance. That meant that either a good or bad thing was to happen. The man informed the children to wait there while he took a look. Instantly, he was off to climb the nearby building.

Lena and Agdar turned to look at the bodies on the ground since the smoke was cleared. Rhys stared at the hooded man with fixation in his eyes, yearning to be just as skilled as the man. A prince had resources, for sure, and maybe he could use those resources to become something stronger than a normal prince.

Lena and Agdar were done making sure all of the bodies were unconscious when the man landed back on the ground.

"The citizens are returning from the field." He revealed. "Call a guard and tell them about the bodies."

"How are you sure they're not going to come up anytime soon?" Agdar asked.

"They won't." The man promised. "Don't get into too much trouble next time, okay? But, you should be safe for now as long as people are here to witness. Go straight home, and don't go off running again. I don't want to save you guys again."

"We'll be good, mister." Agdar promised.

"Thank you." The man said. "Unfortunately, I must leave you. I hope our paths meet again."

The man turned to a street which led to the castle in the distance and did not hesitate to walk down the road. Coincidentally, Rhys and his cousins ran after the man seeing as how their paths seemed to be the same.

"Where are you going exactly, mister?" Lena asked.

"To the castle." The man answered. "There are some old friends I have to talk to. Friends I haven't met in a long time. The Queen and princess, to be exact."

"You want to talk to my mom?" Lena asked.

The man paused in his walk, and the children followed his example. With one quick and smooth turn of his foot, he was turned around, facing the three children standing side by side.

"Who are you three exactly?" He asked.

"I'm Princess Lena of Arendelle." Lena introduced. She did a formal curtsy with her dress.

The man put the pieces together in his head. Of course, he thought. The blonde hair and the blue eyes matched baby Lena's features perfectly. She did even resemble Anna a little bit.

"Lena..." He muttered. "And you two?"

"I'm Lena's brother, Agdar." Introduced the youngest child. "Prince Agdar, might I add."

"And I'm assuming you're another sibling." The man said to Rhys.

"No, I'm their cousin." Rhys corrected. "I'm the only son of Queen Elsa. Rhys, at your service." The boy held his hand out for the man.

The man's heart beat faster than it ever had in his life. Looking at Rhys' face, he could see the similarities. There was no doubt that the father of the child was...

"We must hurry, then." The man quickly said. "I must know for sure."

"About what?" Rhys asked.

The man didn't bother to answer his question before he turned around and frisky walked toward the castle. No questions asked, the children followed.

* * *

"Olaf, please tell me everything that happened." Elsa pleaded with the snowman in the middle of the courtyard of the castle.

After the memorial was done in the field, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff hopped onto a sled attached to two horses. Sven was incredibly old for a reindeer. He couldn't move as fast as he used to, and whenever he did, it wasn't for too long a stretch of time. For that reason, they left Sven in the stables at the castle so he could get some rest.

Elsa knelt down in front of Olaf who had his hands folded together. Anna paced back and forth behind her sister, worried sick about her children. She couldn't, however, pace incredibly quickly since she was carrying for two. She put her hand over the bump in her belly as Elsa spoke to Olaf. Kristoff, on the other hand, was off inside the castle, doing his best to search for the kids.

"They wanted to play hide and seek." Olaf started. "I thought it was harmless. They chose me as the seeker, and I counted to one hundred."

"And you didn't think they left the castle?" Elsa assumed.

"I'm sorry, Elsa." Olaf apologized. "It won't happen next time or again, I promise."

"There won't be a next time if we don't find the kids." Anna said, worried. "Maybe they could still be in the castle."

"I've searched for a long time, Anna." Olaf said. "I didn't find them in the castle."

"You really need to get better at this game." Elsa muttered to herself. "Anyway, think about the trouble they could get out there. The danger! They're not ready for the-"

"Mama!" Little Rhys said as he ran through the gates of the castle.

"Rhys!" Elsa exclaimed. The two ran at each other with arms extended. At the last second, Elsa slowed her pace so she wouldn't tackle Rhys, but since he was running at such a force, he was the one to tackle her.

Elsa fell backward, squeezing her son as hard as she could in a hug. While doing so, she kissed his head so many times in so many different places, excluding the lips of course, that he felt incredibly uncomfortable.

"Mommy!" Agdar and Lena exclaimed as they ran towards Anna who knelt to meet them. They're embrace with Anna was a lot less forceful than the one Elsa and Rhys experienced.

"Never do that again!" Elsa ordered Rhys. "You're never going to leave my sight ever again! Why would you do that?! Do you know how much you three worried Olaf, your Aunt Elsa, and me especially?! What happened?"

"Mama, there was these guys." Rhys started. He then spoke incredibly quickly. "First, they were there to meet each other, and then they knew who were, and then they tied us up, and then they were dealing with each other, and then they were dealing with this other guy who completely beat them, and then we-"

"Other guy?" Elsa asked. "He saved you, right?"

"Yeah, he did." Confirmed Lena who stopped her embrace from her mother.

Then, Elsa realized the hooded man was walking into the courtyard through the gates. His entire look made Elsa question the intentions of the man. Was he a friend or foe? Even though he saved the children...

The Queen let go of Rhys and stood up. With her back straight, she cleared her throat, and began to speak. "Are you the man who saved my son, my niece, and my nephew?"

The man nodded under his hood.

"Well, I would like to thank you for your service to me." Elsa continued. "If there is any reward I can provide, consider it paid."

"No reward necessary, Elsa." The man said. The color from Elsa's face drained when she heard him. When the man pulled his hood down completely, her mind couldn't focus on a simple thought since it was thinking too many things at once.

"Good to be back." Kai said, smiling.

Elsa knew it was him. The color of his eyes was unique, and no one else could possibly possess them. He had assumed that neither one of them would not be skeptical, so to prove his identity, he took the glove off of his left hand to show his metal hand, with many more scratches on it than it had when they last saw it.

"Kai..." Anna muttered, quite enough so that the children couldn't hear her.

"Mama, do you know him?" Rhys asked.

"I used to..." Elsa answered, quietly. She then let her hand off of Rhys' shoulder and approached Kai quite quickly. He extended his arms for a hug, but the only thing Elsa did to him was smack him with a slap. Kai seemed unfazed by it, however.

"I deserved that." Kai admitted.

"Eight years!" Elsa began. Her eyes began to redden, and the beginning of tears started on her lower eyelid. "You promised me no more than two!"

"Elsa, I didn't anticipate that I would be gone for so long." Kai defended. "There was a lot that needed to be done, and only I could've done it."

"You stopped writing letters." Elsa reminded. "One year's worth is all I got, Kai! I thought..."

"I was dead?" Kai finished. "Elsa, I was moving around way too much and way too often to write a letter. Eventually, I decided that it was too inconvenient."

"But what the hell were you doing for eight years?!" Elsa asked.

"The first two was getting the job done for King Ander. First, I buried the bodies I had with me before traveling to the Southern Isles." Kai answered. "Traveling the world. Unfortunately, after that was done, I got involved in a lot of political adventures and solving the problems of those who couldn't do those themselves. I was also in prison for quite a while, and the only way I could get out was to do a job for a royal family. Add that to another heap of my misadventures, and you've got eight years worth of absence."

"You make it seem so casual." Elsa said. "You have no idea... Kai, I had to raise a son without you."

Kai looked over Elsa's shoulder to catch another glimpse of Rhys who knew exactly who Kai was to him. However, as far as Rhys knew, Kai was still a stranger to him.

"So is he really..." Kai started.

"Rhys, come here." Elsa gently called. The boy obliged and hugged the waist of Elsa while she put an arm over him.

"Yes, Kai." Elsa confirmed. "He's your son. Eight years, I've remained faithful and I've raised him to be optimistic."

"So he wouldn't be like me." Kai muttered. "Rhys... Did your mother ever tell you why she named you that?"

The boy shook his head. "Mama just said that it has something to do with Papa." Rhys admitted.

Kai smiled at his son. "I'd like to spend more time with Rhys, if you'd have it."

"So he could be more like you?" Anna jested from the side.

"So that he won't." Kai replied. "Elsa, I'm back. I don't plan on leaving my family anytime soon anymore. Every night I was gone, I dreamt of Arendelle. I was always so... Ungrateful for what I had. I understand that now. I have a clean slate now, Elsa. It might have been eight years, but if you're willing, I'd like to be apart of your life again. Yours and his. So what do you say?"

For a second, Kai was scared that Elsa would refuse. But, all she did was let her tears drip down her face and squeeze Kai with a hug.

"Rhys needs a father." Elsa said in between sobs. "And I need a husband. Don't ever leave again... Please Kai."

"I don't plan to." Kai promised. When the two stopped hugging, Kai knelt down to be on the same level as Rhys. "Well... Looks like we're a family now."

"I knew you were coming back one day." Rhys smiled. "Better late than never. Papa." Rhys hugged Kai which caught the man off guard, however, he wasn't uninviting to the gesture.

"Can you teach me how to use a sword?" Rhys asked.

"When you're older." Kai promised. He then let go of his hug, stood up, and faced Elsa who wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Anna put her hands over her children's eyes since children were quite sensitive to this stuff.

"First kiss in eight years." Kai muttered after their lips broke. "I guess I just need to get used to it again."

He then let go of his wife and son to walk over to Anna, Lena, and Agdar.

"Good to see you again, Kai." Anna said. The two kids got out of the way for Kai and Anna to hug. After that was done, he knelt down to talk to Lena and Agdar.

"You were only a baby last time I saw you." Kai told Lena. "I assume you're the leader of you three."

Lena nodded and smiled.

"Glad that someone's responsible." Kai said. "And you." Meaning Agdar. "I trust you'll keep everyone out of trouble just as much as Lena."

"I try to." Agdar humbly said.

Kai noticed Anna's baby belly. "A third one?"

Anna laughed. "We weren't planning on it, but I couldn't be happier."

"Kai..." Olaf weakly said from behind. Kai turned to find the little snowman looking at him in disbelief.

"Olaf!" Kai exclaimed. "You haven't aged a day."

"I knew you'd return." Olaf smiled.

"Is that who I think it is?" Kristoff's voice said from the double doors to the castle.

Kai turned to face Kristoff with a large grin on his face. Kristoff ran towards Kai with a laugh like he was a child playing with a friend. Like Kai, Kristoff had grown a full beard, although noticeably longer than Kai's. The miner hugged Kai and patted his back at the same time.

"You should've sent more letters." Kristoff said.

"I was preoccupied." Kai said. "Eventually, me and my crew parted ways, so that was another hiccup."

Kai heard Elsa, Anna, Lena, Rhys, Agdar, and Olaf walked up near him and Kristoff. When he caught sight of Rhys, he picked up his son and held him with Rhys sitting on Kai's forearm. The boy chuckled madly when he was being lifted.

"What now?" Kai asked everyone.

"Can you tell us about your trip?" Anna asked. "Every single adventure and misadventure."

Kai nodded. "Of course. I have all the time in the world. Well, after I left-"

"Your majesty!" A guard said behind Elsa. Everyone turned to face the guard. "There's a struggle in the streets! A group of armed men are fighting their way through the city guards."

"Why do I have a feeling we know these men?" Lena asked.

"Perhaps with your abilities, you can aid us to stop them." The guard suggested.

Elsa shook her head, knowing that she was not the most qualified person for the job. Instead of refusing the guard completely, she turned to Kai and gave him a nod. He nodded back at her, setting down Rhys.

"Duty calls." Kai told everyone. "When I come back, I'll tell you all about it. Until then..." Kai rubbed Rhys' hair and pecked Elsa on the cheek. He then ran off past the guard who proceeded to follow him.

"Mama, is Papa always like that?" Rhys asked.

"You'll get used to it." Elsa promised.

Kai ran out of the gates and continued running until he got near a building.

_Because that's just the type of person he is._

Kai launched himself up in the air with streams of fire, landing flawlessly on the rooftop.

_He always helps those who can't help themselves, and hurt those who feed on other's suffering._

He then continued his run on the rooftops, pulling the hood over his head as he ran.

_I always used to think he fought because he had to. Only now do I realize he fights only because of the obligation he chose for his skills._

Kai looked down the street to find some civilians running away from the scene. Where they were leaving, he was entering.

_Phoenixes are said to be reborn whenever they die. The same goes for your father, Rhys. He may fall, but he always gets back up._

Kai stood on a rooftop overlooking the plaza where the men he previously knocked out were on their feet, battling with a smaller number of guards compared to theirs. He had underestimated them completely.

_As long as he has a sword in hand and breath left in his body, he will never stop the fight._

Kai unsheathed his sword and dagger, spinning them both to ready for the fight.

_Your father may live thinking he owes the world something, and he will die with the world owing him._

"No rest for the wicked." Kai recalled.

Finally, he jumped into the plaza, ready for another fight.

**The End**


End file.
